Reaper of Rome
by Shadow of Olympus
Summary: Annabeth died at the end of the Giant war. Percy tries to live and move on, but Camp Half-Blood has too many memories of his lost love. So he leaves. (Not gonna lie I suck at summaries, always have, always will. This is my first FanFic, don't really know where I'm gonna go with it. But it should be fun.)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, all rights go to Rick Riordan**

 **(Percy POV)**

That's it. The war is over. The Giants have all been killed and Gaia has been returned to her slumber once again. But at what cost? Annabeth, my Wise Girl, is dead. In the final moments of the battle with Gaia had ripped her from my life in an instant, and now she's gone forever. The pain of losing her, the grief is unimaginable, like I was being dragged back through Tarturus by my hair while any monster was given a free shot.

All of the demigods, Greek and Roman, are gathered in the throne room on Olympus while Zeus had been giving out his rewards to the Seven.

Jason was made the minor God of Thunder, Winds and Heroes. He looked so proud that if certain circumstance had been different, I would have laughed.

Piper was made the minor Goddess of Love and Heroes.

Frank was made minor God of War, Transformation and Heroes.

Hazel was made minor Goddess of Death, Precious Gems and Heroes.

And Leo was made minor God of Fire, Craftsmen, Smiths and Heroes. Yea, his attempt to get back to Ogygia to rescue Calypso failed when he and Festus fell from the sky into the Ocean. It's fair to say that he's pretty torn up about it.

It had gotten pretty quiet, I look up from staring blankly into space. All the Gods and my friends are looking at me with sympathy and a little concern.

"Percy, my son. Please step forward." Poseidon calls to me. Numbly I walk forward with slow and deliberate steps. I offer Zeus a quick bow before turning and bowing to my father.

"Percy, there is nothing I want more than to bring Annabeth back to you. But there is truly nothing we can do, I am so sorry." Poseidon says, sincerity flooding his words. My heart stops and my breath catches when he says Annabeth, but I manage to maintain some semblance of composure.

"I would once again like to offer a place amongst the Gods. Even though I can already imagine your answer." I finishes light heartedly. Some of the others look at me in shock when they hear that I was offered Godhood once before, or probably more at the fact that I had denied it.

"Why would he deny being made a God?" Jason whispers to Piper, who promptly slaps him on the back of the head when she notices my wistful smile. Jason looks like he's about to complain when he sees my smile as well, then it dawns on him that I wouldn't leave Annabeth behind.

"You're right father, I will kindly like to decline your offer. I do have a few requests if that's ok though." I reply, my voice gravelly and horse. A small smile pulls at the corner of my mouth as he heartily laughs. He looks over to Zeus, giving him an expectant look.

"Obviously if it's within our Power." Is all the Zeus say in return.

"Oh, I'm sure it is." I half whisper to myself.

"But I would like you to swear it on the Styx." I state as confidently as I can.

"What are you suggesting boy!" Hera hisses at me. Not going to lie I'm pretty unfazed by it, probably comes with insulting gods every opportunity I get.

"Nothing at all My Lady. It's just the same deal as last time." I replied hands raised in surrender. Zeus stifled a laugh as he swore the oath, and looked at me expectantly.

"Firstly I would like for Hades and Hestia to have thrones and a place on the Council. As two of the oldest Gods, it's kind of stupid that they don't." When I finish, a throne rumbles up through the ground next to Poseidon's. It's completely black and adorned with skulls and a collection of precious gems, while exuding a cold presence of fear and death. While next to Aphrodite's throne emerged a relatively plain looking brown throne, with flame along the armrests and the back. Hestia runs up to me and crushes me into a hug, warmth and hope spreading throughout my chest.

"Thank you so much Perseus. Also, I am so terribly about Annabeth. It's obvious that you two were truly in love with each other." She soothes, giving me a bright smile before heading for her throne.

"Perseus you have my thanks, I am in your debt." Hades grinned shaking my hand. Which shocked just about everyone in the room.

"Oh, one other thing." Hades said over his shoulder on his way to his throne.

"Annabeth made it to Elysium, and is happily living with her friends Silena and Charles. She also sent a message, but I'll pass it on in private." He informs me with a small smile. Relief hits me like a freight train, she made it. Of course she made it she's a hero, I scold myself. I allow my grin to grow, as I thank him.

"Secondly, I would like the peaceful Titans like Calypso and Leto. As apparently that didn't happen last time." I grin, causing Zeus to look more than a little peeved. I glance at Leo, who is so happy that his hair has burst into flame. With a huff Zeus waves his hand and a handful of people appear in the throne room. I have no idea who's who, but one figure is instantly recognisable. Her caramel hair braided over her shoulder, her dark almond shaped eyes and her timeless features. She's as stunning as I remember her. As she looks around the room her eyes fall on my in confusion, I offer her a weak smile and nod towards Leo.

"Sorry, my promise took a little longer to follow through than I thought it would." I concede. As her face lights up in realisation she runs over to Leo and all but tackles him. I'm glad they're happy.

"Titans, you are hereby being released from your imprisonment and are free to live your lives in peace as long as you don't turn on Olympus." Zeus paranoia slipping in there. They all nod and flash away, except Leto who has a quiet conversation with Artemis and Apollo and then flashes away.

"And that about wraps it up I think." I finish quietly.

"Are you sure son? Is there nothing else?" Poseidon almost pleads. I just smile and shake my head, he frowns at me and then looks at Zeus. They stare at each other for a few seconds, apparently having a mental conversation. Finally Zeus sighs, whilst Poseidon looks triumphant grinning widely.

"Perseus I would like to offer you partial immortality like Artemis' hunters. So that you may train future heroes and defend Olympus." Zeus offers, but as I am about to decline him again he speaks up again.

"Before you say no, this offer isn't negotiable nephew." He continues. _Nephew?_ That's new. I look around the throne room, to all my friends and Gods. All of them are looking at me hopefully, _well I can't leave these guys behind they'd be lost without me._ I shrug and sigh defeated, giving Zeus a weak smile.

"Alright "Uncle" I guess I accept." I reply. Beaming Poseidon steps down from his throne, and shots a beam of blue energy at me. When it hits me I feel both exhausted and then invigorated as heat spreads around my body, and then it's gone. I thought occurs to me, I don't want to look almost 17 for the rest of my life.

"Hey, um, one thing. Could you make it so that I age until I'm 21? Or just make me look 21. I get the feeling it would be more convenient looking like that forever." I ask. Poseidon considers this for a minute, before shrugging his shoulders.

"It'll probably be easier to make you look 21 now." He admits. Before shooting me with another beam of energy. I feel my body changing, which is weird as all Hades, it doesn't hurt or anything just feels really weird. After a few seconds it's over, and that's when dots start to fill my vision. _Ah crap, this is going to suck._ I then fall face first into the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick Riordan does.**

 **(Nico POV)**

The moment I saw Percy falling I shadow travelled to him to try and catch him. I failed, I appeared the second he hit the floor.

"Apo-" Before Poseidon could finish, Apollo was already at Percy's side checking him over.

After a minute or so Apollo leans back, letting out a sigh of relief.

"He's fine, just a mixture of exhaustion and being overloaded with being made immortal." Apollo explains, walking back to his throne.

"He should wake up in a minute or so." He finishes, clicking his fingers making a Percy appear in a hospital bed.

I look down at Percy and look to see what's changed. It looks like he's grown about four inches, making him about 6'4 now. His raven black hair is now about shoulder length and as messy as ever. He looks a bit broader, but he's still got his muscular yet slim swimmer looking build. I start to walk back over to my father throne when Zeus calls out.

"Nico di Angelo and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano please step forward!" Zeus booms. He really doesn't need to talk so loud. I change course and head towards Zeus throne and stand next to Reyna as we both bow.

"Both of you were invaluable towards the quest. Which I'm sure would have had a lot more difficulties finishing without you." Zeus droned on, somewhat begrudgingly it sounded like.

"I would like for both of you to receive rewards as well." He stated changing to Jupiter. He turned to Reyna.

"Praetor, I would like to offer you partial immortality and a promotion to Consul of New Rome. Mars will accompany you back to New Rome so that the promotion runs smoothly." Reyna's usual stoic mask shatters into a million pieces. A mixture of shock and joy filling her features, she drops to a knee as Jupiter shoots her with a golden beam of energy.

"Thank you My Lord, I will serve to the best of my abilities." She returns, gratitude lacing her level tone. She stands and steps back next to me giving me a quick look, I give her a smile and a thumbs up and she smiles in return.

"Nico, I would like for you to serve as my Lieutenant in the Underworld. Of course this will mean that you will become immortal." Hades offers, his face remaining emotionless. I bow slightly before answering.

"I would be honoured father." Keeping my voice level. He shoots me with a beam of black energy, which engulfs me like the shadows do when I shadow travel. But I don't really feel anything. I walk back over to Reyna, who gives me a small smile.

"Looks like I'm going to be stuck with you forever." She whispers to me. I try to hold in my smile, and fail miserably.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." I whisper back. As we walk over to the Seven.

"Alright everyone! Now is the time for celebrating. Dionysus I'm sure you, Hermes and Apollo can throw something spectacular together." Zeus says. For the first time during the meeting Dionysus sits up straight, a gleam in his eye as grins grow on his, Apollo's and Hermes faces. A lot of the Demigods perk up at the idea, but are still a bit downcast from the loses.

A small groan pulls my attention over to the hospital bed with Percy in it. He seems to be coming around.

"Wh-Wh-What happened?" He manages to ask, as his eyes flutter open. Those sea green orbs that used to hold so much mirth, happiness and love now dull and shattered. Losing Annabeth has really broken him.

 **(Percy POV)**

Fortunately I blacked out before I hit the floor, so I wont actually be feeling it till I wake up. _Yay! That'll be fun._ I look around my dreamscape, to find that it is all white in every direction I look.

"Hello?" I ask cautiously. My echo's about four times before dying out. I wonder where I am?

Slowly pictures come into view, blurry at first but slowly gaining focus. I squint trying to make them out, nope, nothing. There's only black, red and orange smears at the moment.

"Would you like to see the future young Halfling?" A soothing feminine voice asks from what seems like behind me, but when I spin around there is no one there. Well that's weird.

"Um, yes?" I replied hesitantly. There's no reply, _did I imagine that?_ I look back at the picture which still fairly blurry, but I can just about make out some figures now. Only vague outlines, but definitely a group of people.

"Is that a question?" The voice asks, a hint of amusement.

"No?" I cautiously reply. Voice laughs, it's a sweet and soft sound. It sounds quite nice.

"How funny young one. I shall show you this glimpse of the future, you must commit it to memory and prepare. War is coming and you must be ready." It warns, all sense of humour replaced with urgency.

The picture instantly focuses, showing the most horrific battlefield I have seen in my life. Bodies everywhere, dead, wounded or being devoured by monsters. In the forefront of the image stands a lone person, a man by the looks of it. With a small group of what looks like Greeks and Romans either side of him. In front of them stands a man wreathed darkness, surrounding him is a horde of monsters larger than I have every seen. Everything from Hellhounds to Laestrygonian Giants, all wearing dark shadowy armour and wielding shadowy weapons. Fires are raging behind the monstrous horde. _Well that looks pleasant._ A bronze glint catches my attention. It's the sword that the man in the middle is holding. Wait, is that my sword? Is that Anaklusmos? Is. That. _Me?_ Am I going to get pulled into another ridiculous war?

"When's this going to happen?" I ask, seriousness edging into my voice. Is my life just going to be one war after another, am I cursed to lose all my friends to horrible, grizzly deaths.

"Even I do not know, but at a minimum it will be 4 years. So remember this and prepare young wolf. Will contact you again." The voice was barely above a whisper. Yea, I'm not likely to forget this anytime soon.

My eyes flutter open and the most intelligent sentence came out my mouth.

"Wh-Wh-What happened?" I ask. I feel like something important just happened.

"Percy?" A small voice asks. I look down to see Hazel next to my bed.

"Hey Hazel, what's up?" I ask, my voice still feeling hoarse. A smile spreads across her face and her eyes light up a little bit.

"Not much, just being a Goddess and stuff." She chimed happily. I look around and the rest of the Seven, Calypso and Nico have come over to the bed that I am now lying in, when did I get into a bed? I look around the group for Annabeth, and when I don't find her everything comes rushing back to me. Annabeth's death, being made immortal, and my weird dream about a coming war. _Fucking spectacular._ I feel my smile drop from my face as I sit up. All the other Demigods are filing out of the room towards the party.

"Guys, I had a dream." At the statement, everyone's expressions darken, but when they don't say anything I continue.

"I don't know who it was, but they showed me a picture. It was horrible, it was of a battlefield that I haven't seen before. And the voice told me that there is going to be another war, in a minimum of 4 years." I explain to them.

"Well that sounds wonderfully shit." Nico mutters.

"Well at least that gives us some time to prepare." Jason says, turning over to his military side. He really is a very good Roman.

"Dios mio, will it never end?" Leo groans, his arm going around Calypso's waist protectively. I couldn't help but agree, it's been one war after another recently.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up.

"We'll tell the Gods tomorrow. Let everyone celebrate for one night, they've sure as hell earned it." I basically commanded. Frank looks like he wants to protest, but a quick glare from Hazel stops him in his tracks.

"Well let's go enjoy the party shall we." I say, throwing on a fake smile and putting an arm over Jason and Piper's shoulders as we make our way out of the throne room.

 _How am I going to live without you Wise Girl?_

 ** _A/N: I know this may be off to a pretty slow start, but I feel like this all important information. Probably._**

 ** _Till next time._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick Riordan does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

It's fair to say that the party on Olympus was the best party I had ever been to. Which may not be that many, but come on, a party organised by three Gods, you show me a better mortal party. I dare you.

Anyway, I couldn't stay. I tried, I really did. But you can only pretend to enjoy yourself for so long, before people start to notice. So I asked Poseidon if he could flash me back to camp, which thankfully he did. I walked into my cabin and collapsed onto my bed, finally letting everything wash over me. All the pain of losing friends, and Annabeth. That's when I allowed myself to cry, to let all my emotions run free. In all honesty I'm surprised that I didn't cause a hurricane or something, and that's the last thing I remember before falling into a dreamless sleep. Thankfully.

So that's how my night went.

I wake up in the morning, with about everything aching and feeling stiff. _Wonderful._ I had fallen asleep fully dressed in my jeans, and camp T-shirt. Which were both still covered in golden dust, mud and scorched black in a few places.

I role out of bed, peeling off my clothes and heading for the shower. The shower feels glorious, washing away all my aches and pains. But as I step out of the shower I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

Why do I look older? Oh yea, Poseidon made me look 21. _Wow, you really aren't the brightest are you Percy._ I take a second to inspect myself. I've grown about 4 inches, leaving me at about 6'4 now. I've gotten broader and I filled out a bit, but maintained my slim swimmer build. My hair, while as messy as always is now down to my shoulders. But I guess to most noticeable difference is my eyes, the once bright sea green eyes. Now look dark, broken and filled with sadness. How could they not considering what's happened, and apparently what's going to happen.

I shake the dark thoughts from my head and quickly get changed into some board shorts and a clean camp shirt, and make my way to the dinning pavilion for breakfast. I watch as a couple of other latecomers jog towards the dining pavilion.

As I enter, all the conversations die down to a mummer as everyone gives me sympathetic looks. I just give everyone a small smile and head towards the Poseidon table and sit by myself. I think of blue chocolate chip pancakes and a dozen appear on my plate, that still amazes me.

The conversations build up around me again, albeit quietly. I catch snippets of my name, but that's about it. I sacrifice a couple of pancakes to the Gods and head back to my table and eat in silence, the pain in my heart slowly growing.

I quickly finish my pancakes, and look around. Jason and Piper are sat hand in hand at the Zeus table, talking quietly among themselves. Leo and Calypso are sat at the Hephaestus table, the Latino elf tinkering with something with one of his brothers while Calypso talks with a young looking girl on the table. Frank and Hazel are sat with Nico at the Hades table, talking animatedly while Nico tries to look uninterested.

I'm glad that they all got to be together.

I stand and head towards the training area, to hopefully clear my head a bit before I explain to the Gods my dream about the next war.

"Hey Perce, where you going?" Connor and Travis ask in unison as I pass their table. Which is still really creepy if you were wondering. I instinctively check my pocket for Riptide and internally sigh when it's still there, even though it would reappear in my pocket after a few minutes anyway.

"Just to get some training in, wanna come?" I offer knowing the answer. They both quickly shake their heads, a small trace of fear in their eyes. I grin slightly and continue towards the training area.

An hour later and I am drenched in sweat and lying on the floor. All the dummy automations lay in pieces around me, smoking and sparking. _Leo's gonna be pretty pissed._ Maybe if I had been faster I could have save Annabeth, if we had defeated Gaia just a second faster she would still be alive. If I had been paying more attention to everyone, or been stronger. Tears start to build in my eyes and slowly creep down my face.

When a slow clap snaps my attention to the entrance. Where I see the flutter of a purple cloak and the gleam of Imperial Gold armour. I quickly shoot into sitting position and try to subtly wipe the tears from my face, before standing up and walking over to the entrance.

"Hi Reyna." I say as casually happy as I can muster. Can't have people knowing that I'm dying inside. Her black eyes stare at me for a second, as if she's trying to determine if my emotional state matched the way I spoke.

"As efficient as ever Jackson." She compliments? Indicating to the devastation I just left, as I grab a bottle of water from my stuff and pour half the contents over my head and drink the rest. Feeling a million times better I turn back to Reyna.

"Everyone needs a hobby. Mine just happens to be breaking Leo's stuff." I say, a fake smile plastered on my face as I look back at the train area. She inspects me for a second, before allowing a small smile.

"Well I was just exploring, when I came upon your little display." I raise an eyebrow, was she watching me the whole time? _Nah, I would have noticed. Right?_ She looks like she wants to ask something else, but apparently decides against it.

"Anyway, see you later Jackson." She states as she walks away, only to stop about 10ft away.

"Actually, I may be a little lost. Would you mind showing me around if you're not busy." She asks, half turning around. Annoyance and embarrassment fill her eyes, probably at having to ask for help. Well I guess there is a first time for everything.

"Are you asking for help Consul? What is the world coming to?" I joke as I grab my other water bottle and walk towards her willing myself dry grinning slightly. Anger builds on her face, while embarrassment fills her eyes. _That might have been a mistake._

But Reyna composes herself, back to her neutral and calm expression.

"Well as this is a place I have never been to before, it is only natural for me to ask for a guide to show me the lay of the land." She counters. Well I guess she's got me there.

I kind of don't want to be around people at the moment, but I guess since she asked so earnestly I'll give her a tour.

"I guess you're right." I concede

"Follow me then Consul. As I show you around my second home." I reply with an overly flamboyant bow, making her smile a little. I then start walking into camp, wondering what I should show her first.

 **(Reyna POV)**

After breakfast I decide that it would probably be for the best to explore Camp Half-Blood a little, but it takes no time before I am utterly lost. I instantly regret not asking someone to show me around.

The sound of metal clashing draws my attention towards a small coliseum. Someone must be training. I make my way towards the coliseum, wondering in what way Greeks train and how different it is to the Legion. Which is very much unit based training.

When I walk into the coliseum I am shocked at the sight. A lone figure stands surrounded by at least 80 automations, all of which are armed with different weapons. Ranging from swords and spears, to javelins and bows. The person doesn't seem to be particularly fazed by the number he is facing, he just stands there patiently with his sword by his side.

A buzzer sounds and all the automations spring to life, those with swords moving as a blur towards the man. While those with spears form into a phalanx, and those with bows and javelins take aim. The man just stands there, almost meditative. _Is he mad?_ As I watch the automations get closer, it isn't till the first automation is about to cleave his head off that he moves. It's almost too quick for me to register. He ducks under the strike while spinning 180 and slicing through the automations chest in one lethal strike. It's then that I realise who it is. It's Percy Jackson.

For the next hour I watched as he fought like a demon. Dancing through the swords, arrows and javelins of the automations, whilst simultaneously cutting them down. Slashing and dodging at such unimaginable speed that it verged on precognition.

He spun into some open space, barely even sweating. His green eyes seem to be burning as he scanned the remaining enemies for a couple of seconds, before sprinting headlong into the phalanx. Just before the spears could touch him, he jumped and span between the 15ft spears and landed on one of the automations effectively crushing its head under his converses. He then got to work cutting down the phalanx with terrifying speed.

All that remained were the ranged fighters, which he made quick work reducing to scrap. Cutting their projectiles out of the air whilst running between enemies and ending them, before lying down drenched in sweat.

If this has shown me anything, it was that Percy Jackson both terrified me and inspired me. I slowly clapped to alert him to my presence, and he quickly looked at me before sitting up, wiping sweat off of his face and made his way over.

"As efficient as ever Jackson." I more acknowledge than anything else, remembering his time in the Legion. He quickly pours some water over his head and drains the rest of the bottle, before turning his now dull green eyes on me.

"Everyone needs a hobby. Mine just happens to be breaking Leo's stuff." He returns with what looks like a very forced smile and slightly red eyes, he must have just started to cry. He's very much more broken that he lets on.

"Well I was just exploring, when I came upon your little display." I explain. Well that's basically the truth, anyway I suppose I should leave him to his business.

"Anyway, see you later Jackson." I say before turning and walking away. Wait, how do I get back to, well, anywhere? Slowly I come to a stop, I wonder if he would show me around. But the thought of asking for help really annoys me, and he's definitely the type of guy that's going to make a joke.

I sigh quietly in embarrassment, before half turning back around.

"Actually, I may be a little lost. Would you mind showing me around if you're not busy." I ask a little quieter than normal, anger and a little embarrassment building. A small grin, a real one this time appears on his face.

"Are you asking for help Consul? What is the world coming to?" He asks, humour and a little sarcasm rolling off his words. As he grabs another bottle of water and walks over, and as water basically flies off of him I'm stunned. But I manage to glare at him instead of looking shocked.

He looks like he realises he made a mistake, so I reel in my glare and recompose my face before countering his joke with an explanation.

""Well as this is a place I have never been to before, it is only natural for me to ask for a guide to show me the lay of the land." He seems to accept my answer.

"I guess you're right. Follow me then Consul. As I show you around my second home." He says, dropping into a low bow. I smile at his ever comical nature, even at a time like this. As I follow him, presumably, back to camp.

 **(Percy POV)**

After spending a couple of hours showing Reyna camp. All of the cabins, the forge, the Pegasus stables, where I had a quick chat Blackjack and gave him a sugar cube. I finished with the volleyball courts and the woods. I explained how we played capture the flag, and that it was stocked with monsters. I'm pretty sure I heard her mumble something about how the Legion would fare in the games.

I walked her back to the dining pavilion where the rest of the Legion was kind of milling around, waiting to be taken home by the Gods. _Aw shit, I have to tell them about my dream don't I. Fuck!_

"Sorry Reyna, I just remembered I have to do something. I'll catch you later. Don't leave with out saying goodbye." I fire off quickly as I run away before I hear her reply.

I quickly run into my cabin and over to the ornate seawater fountain. Thankfully it's a pretty sunny day, so it's pretty easy to get a rainbow going. I grab a drachma off the side and chuck it into the rainbow.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show my Poseidon." The drachma gets absorbed into the rainbow instead of splashing in the fountain, meaning it's been accepted. _Always a good start._

An image of my father comes into view, he seems to be in his throne room talking to Triton. _Not my biggest fan._ Poseidon notices me and quickly finishes with Triton.

"Percy, how're you doing?" He asks with a little concern.

"Hey dad, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. But I had a dream last night and I think a new war is coming." I reveal. His face drops and he seems to age about a hundred years.

"Tell me everything." He commands.

I nod before explaining everything to him.

After explaining my dream to him, dread is all over Poseidon's face.

"I will call a meeting at once, collect all of the new Minor Gods and immortals. I will come and collect you." He instructs, swiping his hand through the message. I quickly run out of cabin to find everyone and direct them to my cabin.

After gathering everyone in my cabin, I sit on my bed and wait. The Seven, Calypso and Nico have knowing looks on their faces. Whilst Reyna looks like a fish out of water.

"So I'm guessing we're telling the Gods about your dream." Jason more states than asks. I nod at him, as a golden flash appears in the corner of the room.

"Good you're all here, everyone is waiting. Let's go." Poseidon quickly says, and in the next instant we are all standing in the Olympian throne room. Poseidon in his throne and the rest of us standing in the middle, we all quickly bow.

"So, what is the meaning of this meeting Poseidon?" Zeus inquires.

"Percy may have a somewhat dire revelation." He replies, indicating for me to explain.

(Line Break)

After explaining my dream, it is silent for a long while.

"So what are we going to do about this!?" Zeus thunders, electricity sparking off of him.

"Well firstly, we must increase the defences at both camps. As well as insuring that the Demigods are trained." Athena supplies smoothly.

"As well as reinforcing alliances and relationships with all the Minor Gods and the Amazons." She continues without even stopping to take a breath.

"Fortunately it would seem that we have some time to do all of this, so I believe we should get started immediately." She finishes, turning back to us.

"Very well. Romans, you must go back to New Rome immediately and get preparations underway. As well as appointing new Praetors. Greeks you must do the same at Camp Half-Blood." He orders, in a relatively calm voice surprisingly.

"My Lord what about the law, we cannot interact with Demigods anymore." Piper observes. It's a good point, only Nico, Reyna and myself can now.

"That's where you are wrong my dear." Aphrodite replies without looking away from her mirror as she corrects her make-up.

"Aphrodite is correct, as all of you share the domain of Heroes both camps come under your spheres of control. So you can interact freely with them." Athena explains. _They did that on purpose, I'm sure._

"Alright meeting dismissed." Zeus states, flashing out in a massive strike of lightning. _Drama Queen strikes again._ Followed by most of the other Gods. Only Poseidon, Hades, Hestia and surprisingly Aphrodite remain. With a quick farewell to my now Godly friends, they flash away as well. Leaving only Nico, Reyna and myself.

"Perseus, a moment if you please." Hades extends, indicating for me to follow him. I follow him a little way before he turns back to me.

"I believe I told you that I had a message from Annabeth for you." Hades recalls. My heartbeat quickens and my palms begin to moisten in anticipation. I wait for him to continue, not trusting myself to speak. Thankfully Hades gets the point, pulling out an ethereal looking note.

"Well she says, "Percy, I know that you are probably blaming yourself for my death. Don't, there is nothing that you could have done. I made my choices and they led me there, so it's all on me. So don't be stupid. I also heard about your somewhat forced Immortality, it's about Gods damn time. You deserve it. Now I want you to make me a promise, and I know that it will be difficult, but I want you to move on with your life. Live and love, don't hold yourself back in a depression because that'll be a horrible eternity to live alone. Also I'm going to go for rebirth, the Isles of the Blessed sounds pretty great. So maybe see you again in the next life. Silena and Charles say hi and remember, I love you with all of my heart. Your Annabeth." That's all of it, sorry it's kind of short. There's a finite amount of space on these things." Hades finishes, looking up from the now disappearing note. _Is that like ghost paper?_ Tears fall freely as both relief and depression slam into me. I'm sure she'll make the Isles of the blessed with ease. I look at Hades with a watery smile.

"Thank you so much." I whisper. He gives me a sympathetic smile before pulling me into a hug. Surprising me so much my heart nearly stops.

"I know how it feels Percy. But she is right, you can't live eternity in depression, that'll be a fate worse than death." He quietly soothes. Before leaning down to be eye level with me.

"Also, just between you and me. She only has to go through rebirth once to get there." He whispers giving me a wink. I am filled with gratitude at his words.

"My Lord I cannot thank you enough. If there is ever a time you need my help please don't hesitate to ask." I say, bowing slightly.

"I'll hold you to that." He says with a sly smile, before disappearing into the shadows.

I walk back to the other, wiping the tears from my eyes. They all look concerned, but when I give them a real smile for the first time in the last few days they relax. Aphrodite comes up to me and hugs me softly.

"Percy I am so sorry about Annabeth. I know I made things a little difficult over the years, and I am truly sorry. I promise that I'll stay out of your love life, well, I won't make any problems for it at least. Probably." She sobs a little. Well that's awfully nice of her, I bow and thank her and she disappears into a puff of pink smoke.

I walk over to Nico, Reyna and Poseidon and give my famous lopsided grin.

"Well we've got some work to do." I grin.

After hearing Annabeth's letter I do feel a bit better, still absolutely horrendous but a little better.

 _It may not be anytime soon Wise Girl, but I'll give living a shot._


	4. Chapter 4

**(Percy POV)**

(Time skip 6 months)

For that last 6 months we've been training the Demigods relentlessly. Nico, Piper, Jason, Leo, Calypso and myself at Camp Half-Blood and Frank, Hazel and Reyna at New Rome. I'm pretty confident in saying that if we keep this up for the next few years we will have a force to be reckoned with.

A palisade wall that is reinforced with celestial bronze and rock now surrounds camp, thanks to the swift work of the Hephaestus kids mainly. We haven't got around to setting up a watch rotation yet, but we do still have a few years before everything kicks off, so I think we're good for now.

Camp's population has swelled now as well. Thanks to the new extensive training, when a new Demigod turns up being chased by monster, they are quickly dispatched. We now have about 420 campers.

I'm currently watching some of the newer campers go through the easier drills we came up with, that works on getting a proper stance and grip ingrained. But if I'm being honest I can barely register anything that is happening around me. I know I said that I would try and keep my promise with Annabeth, but I have been falling further and further into depression. I just feel empty without her by my side. I can barely focus on any task for more than ten minutes, and now sleep has abandoned me. But when I do manage to get to sleep, dreams of her death plague me. I'm ashamed to say that ending it all has crossed my mind a couple of times. Hell I had Riptide pointed at my chest one night before I stopped myself, opting to curl up into a ball and cry instead.

It takes all of my strength to keep up any form of charade that I'm doing ok. I just see her everywhere here, all the memories we shared.

"Percy?" A small voice asks.

"What!" I snap back without realising. I look up and see a small girl with short brown hair and blue eyes, with the telltale of pointed features of a child of Hermes. She takes a step back in fear, getting ready to run. Her name is Jennifer I think.

"Oh Gods, I'm so sorry Jennifer. I was thinking about something else." I quickly apologise looking down in shame. After a second or so she relaxes. _Phew, I got the name right._

"It's ok, you looked upset and angry. I probably shouldn't have startled you." She replied in a small shy voice.

"I just wanted to let you know that the lesson has ended, so we're heading out." She continued. _The lessons already over?_ I look down at the shield watch that Tyson gave me. She's right, the lesson ended a couple of minutes ago.

"Well I guess you better get onto your next activity then." I tell her in the happiest voice I can muster, but my smile barely even reaches my eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking. What were you thinking about?" She asks shyly, looking down at her feet. _What an inquisitive kid._ But I can't offload all my sadness onto this little girl, it would crush her. So I do the next best thing.

"I'll tell you when you're older." I say patting her head with a grin. She pouts and crosses her arms.

"I'm nearly 10 I'll have you know." She states confidently, puffing her chest out. _Hahaha, that's funny and adorable._ I try to hide a small laugh as I reply.

"Oh I am so sorry madam. I don't realise I was in the presence of such an elderly lady." It takes her a moment to realise that I am joking before she starts to laugh. A sweet melodic laugh, that reminds me of a wind chime. One of her friends calls her from the entrance to the coliseum, so she bids me a quick farewell before running off.

I pull my tired body off the bench I was sitting on and make my way towards the beach. I half-heartedly wave at a couple of campers on my way, trying to keep my smiling 'hero' mask up.

As I get to the beach I dive head first into the water and sink down to the bottom and lie there. The water helps with my tiredness, if only it could help with my emotions. Then I'd be set.

Maybe I should leave camp. Just to get some time to myself, away from everything that reminds me of her. Maybe that'll help me feel better in the long run, because let's be honest, no one wants a depressed and somewhat suicidal kid bring everyone down. Especially with a war on its way.

But where would I go? I could go see mum, but I won't be able to stay. I'll just put them in danger. Maybe I could live in the wild for a little bit like the Hunters. _It can't be that hard._

 _Oh how I'll regret that thought._

(Line Break)

I sit at the Poseidon table at dinner, steeling my nerves to talk to Chiron about leaving Camp for a while. I'm so anxious I can barely eat, so I decide to just sacrifice the rest of my burger and chips to my father. _It's now or never Percy._ I walk over to Chiron at the head table and tap him on the shoulder, giving him a shock that nearly sent him into Zeus realm.

"Percy my boy, what can I do for you?" He asks, still kind of shocked but trying to real it in. I smile at the old centaur and my mentor.

"Do you have a minute? I would like to ask you something in private." I inquired. I feel a bit awkward under his calm gaze waiting for him to answer.

"Of course, let's go." He replies as calm as ever, making his way to the exit. I follow quietly, avoiding the inquisitive gazes of the campers.

We make our way over to the bonfire, where he patiently waits for me to talk.

"Ok, so I was, um, I was wondering if I could make a request." I start slowly, pushing a hand through my hair nervously. Chiron looks a little intrigued, he probably thinks this is going to be about training or aiding the camp some how. Which, I guess, in the long run it will help camp.

"As long as it is within reason and my power, I will gladly help with whatever your request it." He replies cheerily, smiling at me. I return his smile, albeit sadly, before continuing.

"Ok, but promise me. That you'll let me finish before saying anything." I don't want to make him swear on the Styx, I don't want to put that on him.

"Ok, I promise I won't interrupt." He says, concern starting to build in his features. I look down at my shoes, not wanting to see his reaction to my request.

"I want to take some time off from Camp. Or in other words, I want to leave." I confessed. I couldn't see his face, but by the way his tail started to swish I can tell that he's shocked. But when he doesn't say anything I know I can continue.

"I know that this might be a shock, but I do have my reasons." I elaborated, finally looking up at his face. His face seeming to age immensely and his eyes begging for an explanation.

"It's just that… everywhere I go around here I see her, or I remember something we did together. I can barely sleep at night as I can't bear to watch her die again and again in my dream, and I'm lashing out at other campers." I elaborated, he instantly realise that I'm talking about Annabeth.

"Gods Chiron, I nearly killed myself the other day. I just… I just don't see it getting any better if I stay here." I continue, tears building in my eyes as I see the shock on his face.

"I-It's not l-like I be gone forever. I'll c-come back." I finished quietly, full on crying now as I look back down at the floor clenching my fists. Not in anger or anything, it's just to stop me from running away this very second.

Chiron doesn't reply for a while, so I look up. His eyes a boring into me as he thinks over what I asked him, he then sighs and closes his eyes.

"I get the feeling that if I say no, you'd go anyway." He began, opening his eyes and sighing.

"So I'll make the process easier by agreeing." He concedes. _He knows me so well._ As I'm about to thank him he interrupts me.

"But! Only if you agree to a condition first." He bargained sternly. Staring me down until I nod in agreement. _He's actually going to let me go. He really is the best._

"You must call in once a month, to keep us up to date with your wellbeing. If you miss even one call, I will send out search parties for you and have them drag you back here whether you like it or not." He concludes. _I guess that's easy enough to do._ I agree to his terms and he hugs me, saying I can leave in the morning if I wanted. I smile and nod, still not really trusting myself to talk before heading back to my cabin to pack some stuff.

In the morning I wake up feeling pretty great for the first time in months, no bad dreams and I don't ache so much. I quickly shower and get dressed into some jeans, a navy blue T-shirt, a black hoodie and blue converses.

I quickly check my backpack to make sure that I had packed everything. A pouch of Drachma's, a thermos filled with Nectar, another pouch filled with Ambrosia and some spare clothes. I decide to leave my Minotaur horn, so that if any children of Poseidon turn up they can have it. As I am more than likely to lose it out there. _That's everything._ I check that Riptide is in my pocket and my shield watch is on my wrist, before heading for the door.

Walking up Half-Blood hill I spot Chiron, along wit Jason, Piper, Nico, the Stoll's and Clarisse. _Huh, didn't expect her to send me off._

"Do you really have to go? Is there nothing we can do?" Piper croaked, wiping a tear away.

"Sorry Pipes, but I do." I reply apologetically, giving her a quick hug.

"If you ever need anything, let us know and we'll be there." Jason offered, trying hard to stay composed it would seem. I give him a nod as I shake his hand.

"I'm sure we'll run into each other sooner or later, but take this." Nico says, handing me a small whistle. _Why would I need a whistle?_ Nico notices my confusion and sighs, a little annoyed.

"You can summon Mrs. O'Leary with it." He mutters quietly. I look at him amazed. Daedalus had given him a similar whistle before, and if I remember correctly it only has one use.

"Thanks Nico." I say, giving the small boy a hug. Which he looks most displeased about.

"We thought that -" Connor started.

"We'd give you something to." Travis finished, with mischievous grins. Before handing me a wallet full of dollars and a small pouch of Drachma's. The wallet has about $1000 in it and the pouch has about 30 Drachma's in it. _How in the Hades did they get this much money?_ I give them a cautious look, but they just look back at me innocently.

"Thanks guys, I'm sure this will be very useful." I say with a sly smile, as they just continue to smile back at me.

I then turn to Clarisse, who doesn't look like she wants to be here.

"Just don't die out the Prissy." She barked before storming off back down the hill.

"I'll do my best." I shout after her.

"She was so angry when she heard, Chris and two of her brothers had to restrain her from busting into your cabin to beat you silly." Piper tells me.

"You'd better give Chris my thanks then." I tell her, as I finally step up to Chiron.

"Take care my boy and take this." Chiron says, holding out a short sword in a black leather sheath. I carefully take the sword and slowly pull it from the sheath, revealing a glistening silver blade with waves engraved near the circular cross guard. It has a single edge and curves slightly, with the blade itself being just under 2ft. The grip fits perfectly in my hand and is wrapped in smooth black leather. All in all it was a beautiful sword. _I'll have to think of a name later._

"Thank you Chiron, but where did you get this?" I ask. He just winks at me and says.

"I have my ways. Also I thought of something last night, as you'll be out there anyway. If you come across any stray Demigods, send them our way. Or towards New Rome." He quietly explains his idea, so only I can hear him.

"Um, sure." Is my great reply.

"Oh yea, where are Leo and Calypso?" I query, looking around.

"They went to visit New Rome remember. Leo said it was to make peace after "accidentally" blowing it up." Nico explained. Oh yea, I forgot about that. _I guess I'll have to catch them another time._ Calypso and I had made up after the whole, not getting her released, her cursing Annabeth thing and we have actually become good friends. As well as sparring partners, being the daughter of Atlas isn't just for show. Her endurance, strength and thousands of years to practice is truly terrifying.

"Oh yea, I guess you'll have to say bye for me then." I reply quietly.

With a sort of awkward wave I start to make my way down the hill and towards Manhattan, already feeling some of the weight lift from me shoulders.

(Line Break)

I might as well drop in and say hi to mum while I'm in the city and it's a Saturday. She was so upset when I told her about Annabeth, she cried for about an hour straight with me.

As I walk up the familiar street anxiety builds in my chest. _How is she going to take me basically disappearing off?_

As I get to her apartment building I give the doorman a quick wave before heading up the stairs to her apartment.

I pause at her door and take a deep breathe, preparing for the conversation. I then quickly knock on the door and wait. I hear the shuffling of someone walking behind the door, then I hear the lock and the door flies open revealing a slightly dishevelled Paul in a dressing gown.

"Oh Percy, how're you doing?" He asks casually, stepping aside to let me in.

"I'm alright thanks Paul, is mum about?" I ask, heading for the living room.

"Yes, she's just in the bedroom. I'll go get her." He says, rushing off. I take a seat on one of the couches putting my backpack at my feet. But I'm instantly back on my feet when my mum comes running into the room with a huge smile.

"Percy, it's so great to have you home." She squeals, not unlike a little girl before crushing me into a hug. _Gods, she could give some Titans a run for their money._ We separate and sit on the sofa, while Paul takes the armchair.

"So tell me, what brought on this visit?" She asks somewhat seriously, her blue eyes stern. I give her the same speech I gave Chiron, leaving out the near death experience of course.

She sits quietly through my explanation, tears building.

"Oh my baby boy, I'm so sorry that you're going through this. You can stay here for a while if you want." She offers. But I just shake my head.

"No can do mum, I'll only attract monsters and put both of you in danger. I'll find somewhere safe and I'll stay in contact." I promise, leaning back into the sofa. She sighs like she was expecting that answer. She turns to Paul and seems to ask a silent question, he nods in reply a huge smile on his face. _What are these two up to?_

"We also have some news." She starts, looking back at me.

"I'm pregnant." She finishes with a smile. I'm shocked silent as I look between the two of them. _I'm going to have a brother or a sister?_ _This is amazing!_ I smile at the two of them.

"Well, you two have been busy haven't you!" I joke, causing both mum and Paul to go different shades of red, earning myself a slap on the arm. _Worth it!_

"But really? That's amazing! How long have you been pregnant?" I fire off quickly.

"About 2 months." She replies happily. I can't believe it, this is the best!

"Well I'll definitely have to drop by at some point then wont it." I continue, smiling so wide my face kind of aches. Mum just nods, as she looks at Paul lovingly. I'm glad she found a decent guy.

"Well I guess I should head out, can't be drawing monster to my new baby brother or sister." I state, standing up and grabbing my backpack. Another quick hug with my mum and a handshake with Paul, pulling him close.

"If you ever need me for anything, Iris message me. You know how to do that right?" I ask quietly.

"I will, and yes I do. Sally showed me after she told me about you." He whispers back. _Good._ I let go and walk back out the door

 _Where to now?_

 ** _A/N: Not gonna lie, I was kind of delirious when I wrote this chapter. So if its not great, let me know and I'll work on it._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

(Time skip 3 months)

You know when I was thinking that living in the wild would be easy. Yea, turns out I was horribly wrong. Oh sweet Tarturus I was wrong.

I made my way to Harriman State Park just outside New York. Which, at the time, seemed like a good idea. Loads of water sources, near enough to the city to visit my mum and to restock camping provisions when needed. There's also the wildlife which I have tried to catch, a lot of emphasis on tried. Rabbits and Squirrels are a lot harder to catch than you think.

But the continuous monster attacks is what's really grinding my gears. Literally every fucking ten minutes a new monster just rocks up. You'd think after the first few attempts word would get out about the Demigod killing everything. _Huh, maybe that's why they keep coming._

Also having to buy a new tent, sleeping bag and clothes every other week really eats away at money. But other than that, it's pretty peaceful out here.

Or so I would like to say, as at the moment I am fighting half a dozen Hellhounds and a couple Dracanae. The Hellhounds are slowly circling me, eyeing Riptide and Cyclone (my silver sword) carefully with their ruby red eyes. While the Dracanae stay a bit further away, presumably waiting for an opening to strike.

This would have been an easy fight, had it not been 3am and my third night without sleep. But _No,_ the Fates just love to make my life difficult.

A Hellhound leaps at me from my left. I quickly duck under the flying truck sized beast and eviscerate it with a quick slash from Riptide, covering me in golden dust. Unfortunately this doesn't dissuade any of its compatriots, as the rest of the Hellhounds roar come bounding towards me. I spin out of the way of one and drive Cyclone into the mouth of another.

I hack, slash and roll my way through the last few Hellhounds, cutting the head from the last one like an executioner. I slowly turn to the Dracanae, and give them my best wolf glare as I catch my breath.

"So, do you want to have a crack? Or can I go get some sleep?" I growl at them. They look at each other and begin to laugh, quietly at first. But it builds into a hysterical cackle as the look back at me. _Well that's not creepy._

"Well, sssson of Possseidon. We have been ordered to take your head. Sssso take it we sssshall." One of them hisses as it pulls out a bow. _Where the fuck did it get a bow?_ While the other charges at me with a spear.

I dodge, parry and roll away from the flurry of attacks coming from the spear. _Why is this so much harder than normal?_ Its like they've had a massive power boost. A twang from a bowstring makes me duck instinctively, dodging the arrow, _Yay!_ But not dodging the shield bash to my face, _Fuck!_

Pain explodes from my nose as I fly backwards into a tree. _Gods, it's like a bus hit me._ I try to blink the black dots from my eyes and push myself to my feet, when a searing erupts from my shoulder throwing my back into the tree. I cry out in pain looking down at my shoulder, seeing a pitch black arrow sticking out of my shoulder.

 _Well this could be going better._ I reach out with my senses, looking for a near by water source. I find one, about 100 yards away. I will enough water to fill a pool towards me and make a dome around myself, blocking an arrow and the thrust from the spear.

I sheath Cyclone and try and pull the arrow out of my shoulder. _Yea I know its stupid._ But it doesn't budge an inch. I try again with the same result.

I look over my shoulder and find that the arrow had gone through my shoulder and embedded itself in the tree behind me. _Something isn't right here._ I snap the shaft just in front of the fletching and pull my shoulder off the arrow with a sickening, squelchy pop. The pain making my vision blue for a second.

I pull some of the water from my defensive dome and cover my shoulder with it. I look back at the Dracanae, the one with the bow is smiling dangerously at me while the one with a spear is stalking back a forth in front of my dome.

 _Alright, lets do this!_ I bring down the dome and shoot half at each of the Dracanae as I charge at the one with a spear, who blocks the jet of water with its shield, dispersing the water with no consequence. _What the actual Hades! That should have blasted it into the next century._

I duck under its spear thrust, grab its spear arm and cut it off at the elbow. I jump back as an arrow whizzes past my ear, still holding the arm. _Why isn't it dissolving?_ I look back at the Dracanae and see a black liquid pouring from the stump.

"What the?" I mutter, as the Dracanae laughs.

"Ssssurprisssed? Thisss isss but a sssmall gift from our massster." She cackles holding up her stump as it slowly reforms into an arm. _Well this is just wonderful._

Before the arm can grow back I launch myself towards it, sidestepping a shield bash and slashing through its stomach, separating its torso from its legs. More of the black liquid explodes from the wound, covering me head to toe. _Well that's gross._

I look down to see the Dracanae still smiling at me and as she's about to say something, but I relieve her head from her shoulders and the Dracanae finally melts into a black puddle.

 _So the head seems to be the weakness._ I quickly press one of the buttons on my shield watch and spin to block an incoming arrow as it's extending.

I charge at the Dracanae, hearing the loud thuds as the arrows hit my shield. Which have so much force behind them that every hit slows me down slightly.

When I get close enough I slash through its bow, only for my second attack to be blocked by a sword that came out of nowhere. I growl in frustration and press my attack, slashing and hacking until finally I slip through its guard with a feint to the left and cut through its right leg like butter. I quickly smash the edge of my shield into its face, making its nose explode black as it falls to the ground.

Quickly I stab Riptide through its left shoulder and into the ground, I draw Cyclone and repeat the action with its right shoulder pinning it to the ground and take a step back to catch my breath. I pull some of the water out of the wet ground in put it over my nose, stemming the flow of blood and easing the pain.

A choked cackle pulls my attention. The Dracanae is smiling like a maniac while it coughs up its black _blood?_

"What's so funny?" I demand, stepping over the Dracanae again.

"You will ssssoon fall Possseidon ssspawn. Word hasss sssspread of your location, and more of usss are coming." She hisses back at me. _Well that's great._

"Who's put you up to this anyway? Who's your massster?" I ask, resting a hand on Riptides hilt. She doesn't seem to appreciate the way I said master.

"Like I would tell you. But he will rise and destroy the Gods, for he is all powerful." She laughs. _She's bloody fanatical._ I doubt I'll get anything out of her, so I quickly pull Riptide from her shoulder, making her scream and then slash her throat. Spraying more of the black blood onto my shirt, _this stuff smell horrible._

I grab Cyclone and sheath it as I turn and start to walk towards my small campsite, when my body starts to go numb.

I catch myself on a tree to stop myself from falling. _What's going on?_ I look down to see a small knife in my thigh. _When did that happen?_

I pull the knife out with a grunt and see a purple liquid drip off the blade. _Poison?_ I try to bring some water over to me, but it doesn't respond.

"Well this is just great." I mumble sarcastically, as everything goes black.

 **(Thalia POV)**

We're hunting through Harriman State Park, as there have been loads of reports of monster here. Which is quite surprising considering how close to Olympus we are.

I'm currently sat in a tree scanning the trees for any movement.

"See anything?" I ask Atlanta, who is perching next to me in the tree.

"Not a thing. Are you sure those reports were right." The small girl asks. The reports had come from Chiron himself, but I have to admit. It is looking like his information was off.

"We'll do one more sweep and then head back to camp." I order, indicating to the other hunters my plan.

We move through the trees like shades, unseen and unheard.

It takes us about an hour to sweep through the area, but we come up with nothing. _Maybe they moved on._

"Alright girls le-" A low howl interrupts me. Its one of the wolves, they've found something. In an instant all of the hunters are running in the direction of the howl.

It takes us about 10 minutes to get to the wolf, which is sniffing at something. _Wait, is that a body?_ I see piles of gold dust, the sure sign that there was a fight here.

I quickly scan the area and see no monster, so I jump down next to the body. While the rest of the hunt walks out of the tree line, the big black wolf lopes back into the woods. _Was that_ _Zoë's wolf?_

"Looks like this _boy_ , got too arrogant in a fight against some monsters." Atlanta spits. She's one of the older hunters, and from the sound of it she has one of the more horrific stories in the group.

But I couldn't help but agree, this idiot allowed himself to get killed by what looks like a small group of monsters. I'm about to order the hunters to head back to camp, when the boy grabs hold of my ankle.

 _He's alive?_ In a heartbeat twenty arrows are pointed at his limp body. I wave them off as I crouch down and pull his hand from my ankle. Slowly I reach out and roll the body, and when I see who it is I hear a collective of gasps, mine included. _It's bloody Percy Jackson._

"Gods, you've really gone and done it this time Kelp Head." I whisper angrily. I stand and turn back to the Hunter with about half looking concerned, while the others look at him in disgust. After saving Artemis and not being a general dick like other men left him in good standing with some of them, also some of them knew him from camp, which helps.

"We're taking him back to camp with us." I command, lifting him of the ground. There are a few quiet complaints about him being a boy, but no one objects outright.

I start to make my way back to camp, with about 12 stone of dead weight on my back. _You bloody idiot._ It's going to be a long hike to camp.

(Line Break)

It takes us about an hour to make it back to camp, thanks to a certain somebody. I carry him to the medical tent and lay him down on one of the beds.

Sophia, a daughter of Apollo, follows me and the moment he's on the bed she starts to check him for injuries. I leave her to go and report to Artemis, who stayed behind with some of the newer recruits.

"Thalia!" A voice calls out from the other side of camp. I turn to see the shining silver orbs of Artemis' eyes. I quickly jog over to her as she waits for me, her arms folded and her foot tapping impatiently.

"What's this I hear about you bringing a male into my camp!" She yells, making all the nearby Hunters turn and look. This is not the time to hesitate.

"My Lady, it is true." I reply as confidently as I can as her glare intensifies.

"But I do have a reason." I quickly add.

"I would expect so Lieutenant!" She rebuked. _She is so pissed!_

"Its Percy Jackson." I state, struggling to keep my voice level. Her gaze instantly softens and she takes a deep calming breath.

"Why have you brought him here?" She questions, in a much calmer voice.

"We found him passed out, potentially injured and surrounded by monster dust. It was actually Zoë's wolf that found him." I explain, relaxing a bit. Artemis seems shocked by my final comment though.

"Midnight found him? She hasn't been out in years." She exclaimed, heading towards the medical tent. Probably struggling with the idea, that a depressed wolf pulled itself together long enough to find its masters only kind of male friend.

I quickly follow behind Artemis, praying she doesn't turn Percy into a Jackalope. Yet even though she's in her 12 year old form, I struggle to keep pace with her.

We quickly pushes through the tent flap to find a very confused Sophia.

"What's the matter?" I ask, as Sophia looks up at us. She had torn open Percy's jeans at his thigh exposing a nasty looking wound. The edges are jagged and it black all around the edges and looks to be spreading.

"I'm not really sure. This wound can't be more than an hour old, but it looks like gangrene is already setting in." She explains thoughtfully, looking back down at his leg.

"And my powers, nectar and ambrosia are having no effect at all. If this continues, I'll have to amputate his leg." She adds, just as calmly. _Amputate his leg!_ I quickly look over Percy, he usually tanned skin is now a deathly pale. He could give Nico a run for his money, heck even Hades.

I look over to Artemis, who looks like she is having a very serious internal debate.

"Have you tried water?" I suddenly blurt out, as both Artemis and Sophia look at me like an idiot.

"He is the son of Poseidon, water can heal him." I quickly explain, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I quickly grab one of the bowls used for bloody rags, obviously one with clean water, and pour it over his leg.

The water doesn't make it within an inch of the wound, if anything it flies in the opposite direction. _Well that's not a good sign._

We all stand in a stunned silence at what just happened. Artemis is the first to snap out of it as she heads for the exit.

"I'll call Apollo. I can already tell this is far beyond my capabilities." She admits quietly, stepping out of the tent.

"What have you got yourself into this time Kelp head." I whispered.

"You know, the usual Pinecone face." A weak response comes back. Sophia squeaks in surprise, I'm sure she expected him to be out of it for a while. I just grin at the idiot, _always finding new ways to surprise people isn't he._

"What happened out there?" I ask, keeping my voice low. I don't want to be too loud and cause him more potential pain.

"I was attacked by some Hellhounds and a pair of Dracanae." He weakly replies.

"That's all it took to defeat the great Perseus Jackson. Don't tell the Titans or Giants that, they'll get you for sure next time." I joke, turning to Sophia who is trying to hide a smile. He tries to laugh, but ends up coughing blood instead.

"Well that's never a good sigh." He mutters before blacking out again. _Shit, this is bad._ A flash and an angry conversation alerts me to Apollo's presence.

"Gods sis, you only call wh-" Apollo stops when he spots Percy on the bed.

"What did you do to him?" He asks, completely serious as he rushes to Percy. He holds a hand over Percy's head and closes his eyes for a second.

Artemis, Sophia and I just watch silently, while I assume he's checking Percy. None of us reply to Apollo's question, so as not to distract him.

"This is bad Arty. He's been poisoned, and it's ancient. I haven't seen anything like this in millennia." He says, worry pouring off him.

"It's not safe to flash him to my palace, I'll have to work here. But no one can be here, what I'm about to do is potentially a little illegal." Apollo stated. This is the most serious I've ever seen him. But Artemis just nods and ushers us out of the tent.

"Stay here and stop anyone from going in, and alert me the moment he's done." She orders, walking to her tent. _Seems like it's going to be a long night._ All the other Hunters have gone to sleep, and I can just make out the wolves patrolling in the tree line.

A large black wolf saunters over to us and lies at my feet. Its startling silver eyes flicking between the tent and me.

"You've been very active lately." I say, patting Midnights head. She just blinks at me and turns to the tent. She stopped talking to everyone when Zoë died, and kept to herself even among the other wolves.

"Sophia, you can go get some sleep if you want. I'll stay and keep watch." I tell her, as she looks like she's about to fall asleep on her feet.

"Ok, but call me if anything happens." She returns sleepily, as she heads for her tent. Sophia has been in the hunt for about 200 years, but she's already the best healer we've got, and a great Hunter. _Children of Apollo have it so easy._ _Archery just comes so easily to them._ But the blonde girl has one thing going for her that Apollo doesn't. She's actually really good at music, poetry, even her haikus are better.

I sit with my back against the wooden post by the flap to the tent, Midnight silently watching me. The occasional golden flash from inside the tent keeps me awake and I'm pretty amazed that no one else wakes up because of it.

 _You better be alright Kelp Head. I can't lose any more friends._

 ** _A/N: I probably shouldn't write at 4 in the morning, but what else am I going to do with my time at this hour. Hope you enjoyed it. Also if there is anything wrong with my writing, let me know and I'll try and work on it._**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **(Thalia POV)**

5 hours. That's how long I wait outside the medical tent before an ashen Apollo comes stumbling out, sweating buckets and looking exhausted.

I quickly shoot to my feet and walk to Apollo, waking a now very annoyed Midnight who had been using my legs as a pillow. She stretches grumpily and sits off to the side.

"How is he?" I ask, worry seeping into my words. He just looks at me tiredly, no joke, no crappy pickup line. It's actually kind of creeping me out.

"Y-Yea, he should be good in about an hour. I'm just going to take a seat here." He muttered quietly, falling into an unceremonious heap. _How's the sun rising?_ _Does it have an autopilot feature or something?_ I shake the questions from my head and run to Artemis' tent.

"My Lady, Apollo has finished treating Percy." I call out, as I stand outside her tent. After a second, Artemis bursts from her tent. She acknowledges me with a nod, but carries on towards the medical tent.

The Hunters are starting to sleepily emerge from their tent, looking at us inquisitively and then scowling as they notice Apollo sprawled out on the floor slowly regaining colour to his skin.

Most of them start their morning routines. Some hunting for breakfast, others sharpening and fixing weapons. Sophia spots us and jogs.

"How'd it go?" She asks, looking nervously at Apollo. She does love him, regardless of his antics.

"He said that Percy should be fine. But Apollo looks like he's about to die." I quietly inform her. I can see the worry in her eyes but she keeps her face emotionless.

"Only Artemis can go in at the moment." Apollo says, weakly grabbing Sophia's hand.

"And why is that?" I snap at the tired God. He glares at me for a second before continuing.

"The poison that was used on Percy came directly from the darkest corners of Tarturus. So, to put it simply, to heal him I exposed him to my true Godly form in the form of a gas so that it could enter the wound and heal from the inside. Something Zeus has forbidden me from doing, as it can sometimes go out of control and cause a plague. Like the black death." He finishes his explanation quietly. _But I still don't get it, why can't we go in?_ But thankfully Sophia asks before I do.

"But why can't we go in." Apollo smiles at his daughter warmly, slowly standing up.

"Basically, if you walk into there right now. It'll be like walking into Chernobyl after the melt down. It should disperse in about 10 minutes." He says, looking nearly back to normal.

"Fine, Sophia, make sure no one enter. Thalia get some sleep as you were up all night. I'll quickly check on him." Artemis orders looking a little miffed.

"Well, I guess my work here is done. See you later little sis." Apollo grins, disappearing in a bright flash that I only just about manage to look away from.

"I'm older!" Artemis yells at the sky, before storming into the tent. _I guess I should get some sleep._

"I'll catch you later Sophia." I say, heading for my tent. The lack of sleep finally catching up with my body, as I stumble into my tent and fall onto my bed and instantly into Morpheus' realm.

(Line Break)

You know I still find Demigod dreams annoying. Weird visions of the future, stumbling into a secret meetings and stuff. But talking to Gods, that one really takes the cake.

"Yes, I always found the ability to see things through dreams an interesting one." A woman's voice echoes around me. _Did she read my mind?_ A warm laugh envelops me, as I guess she did in fact read my mind.

"Yes, daughter of Zeus. I did read your mind." She informs me. _How nice of her._

"But now is not the time for idle chatter. Your friend Percy is in grave danger. Ancient powers are stirring and I fear that he is the only one that has any hope of stopping it." Her voice turning serious and foreboding. _He's always at the centre of something. Poor guy can't catch a break._ I take a deep breath to steady myself.

"Ok, what do I need to do?" I ask with a steady voice. Almost not wanting to hear the answer.

"Just support him. He is a dangerously fragile state at the moment, and if he falls into despair everything will be lost. You will have to make a choice soon, which will either help him drastically or break him more. This is all I ask of you, Thalia." She tells me. _Wait a second. How does she know my name?_

"That's your question? I found my way into you mind to deliver this message and you wonder how I know your name?" She groaned slightly.

"You're right, sorry. I will do my best to help Percy, what's family for?" I smile.

"Excellent." She rejoiced.

"Wait, who are you?" I quickly ask. But the presence has already left and I can feel myself drifting into another dream.

 **(Artemis POV)**

As I walk into the medical tent, I can immediately see that Percy is doing better than he was a few hours ago. But Apollo was right, hanging in the air is a golden haze of his power. It would kill anyone that isn't a God in seconds, maybe a couple of minor Gods as well.

I walk towards Percy and quickly examine him. His skin has returned to its natural tan and his life force doesn't feel like it's going to take a nosedive into Hades realm. _Why did Midnight go and find you?_

I can't make heads or tails of that wolf. She had a special bond with Zoë, more so than the rest of the Hunters. We used to joke that they were linked in some way, which is why they worked so well together.

But ever since Zoë's death, she's barely been living. Only doing the bare minimum to stay functional enough to perform her duties for the hunt.

A tear comes to my eye as I think about Zoë's death and I look back at Percy with a small smile. _You tried so hard to save everyone didn't you._ I'm glad that Zoë found a friend in him. Somehow the boy had found a way to earn my respect, which shocked me when I realised. But he really is unlike any other man I've met.

I walk out of the tent to find Sophia petting Midnight. She immediately stands up when she see me, kind of like a soldier standing to attention.

"Go eat breakfast with the others, I get the feeling that she'll keep everyone out." I suggest, looking at Midnight. Sophia quickly nods and walks to the mess tent, where rabbit is being served.

 _What do I do with you?_ I wonder as I look down at Midnights intelligent silver eyes, a startling reflection of mine. I remember the first time I saw them when she was a puppy, as the runt of the litter she was abandoned in the wild until Zoë stumbled upon her and brought her to me.

 _"_ _I will keep watch Mistress."_ Her gentle voice speaking into my mind, I smile warmly at the old wolf and kneel down next to her.

 _"_ _It's nice to hear your voice again Midnight. I have missed you old friend."_ I mentally communicate with her, and I'm sure if wolves could smile she would be.

 _"_ _But I have to ask. What drew you to this boy?"_ I inquire. Giving her a soft stroke between the ears, which she accepts with a content sigh.

 _"_ _I am not sure myself Mistress, something just pulled me to him. But he has a similar scent to_ _Zo_ _ë and he was in her thoughts when she died."_ She finished, her voice beginning to wobble. _Were they so in tune_ _with each other she could hear_ _Zo_ _ë's thoughts from hundreds of miles away?_

I look at the wolf a little shocked, their bond was like nothing I've ever seen before. But I just smile again.

"Well then, I leave him in your care." I say out loud this time. Before walking to the mess tent for breakfast.

 **(Thalia POV)**

(A few days later)

Ever since we found Percy we haven't moved camp, which is nice. But it can be dangerous for us to stay somewhere for too long, as it raises the likelihood of us being attacked.

But we can't move Percy in the state he's in. He still hasn't woken up yet. But Sophia assures us that he isn't in any grave danger and that he should wake up soon.

I'm currently shooting arrows at the range, but you can only stay interested for so long and after splitting the 10th arrow, I hit my limit.

A tall girl comes running up to me. She has a kind of muscular build, with short brown hair and glistening violet eyes. We picked her up from camp a few weeks ago, she's a daughter of Hecate. She stops next to me to catch her breath.

"Why the rush Jasmine?" I ask, as her breathing settles.

"He's awake." Is all she says, and it's all she needs to say as I bolt for the medical tent. I basically fly into the tent and almost knock over Artemis. _Why's she here?_

I look over to the bed to see Percy sitting up and drinking a glass of water.

"Hi." He says cheerily, as I walk up to him and hit him on the shoulder. I may have added some electricity, but no one needs to know that.

"Ow! What was that for?" He cries out, rubbing his shoulder.

"For almost dying Kelp Head!" I shout back, electricity arcing of my skin as I glare at him.

A cough snaps my attention to Artemis, where my anger dissipates immediately as she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Well Perseus, would you like to tell me what you were doing in the forest?" Artemis questions, turning to Percy.

"Uh, I guess you guys didn't hear about me leaving camp." He answers shyly, looking into his lap. _He left camp? Why would he do that?_ But before I can ask the question Artemis does.

"And why would you leave camp?" He looks up and I get a proper look at his eyes for the first time. They reveal a lost and broken boy, who is trying to find a reason to live.

(Line Break)

It breaks my heart to see him like this, but I don't know what to do or how to help. But hearing his story almost makes me cry. _You poor, poor boy. You loved her so much didn't you?_

"I understand. You can stay until you are fit to move on by yourself, but I would recommend finding a safer place to set up in the future." Artemis states.

"Thank you Lady Artemis. But I'm actually feeling great, I can probably leave tonight." He replies. Artemis just nods before walking out of the tent. _She's being awfully nice to him._

"And who are you beautiful?" Percy cooed happily behind me. I spin towards him, rage building thinking he's talking to Sophia. But seeing him pet Midnight with a loving look in his eye makes my rage drain away.

Midnight nuzzles into his hand, shocking both Sophia and myself. _No one has got such a reaction out of her in ages._ Sophia looks at me with wide eyes and I just shrug my shoulders at her.

"I'm Percy and it's very nice to meet you to Midnight." He continues to talk with Midnight.

"Wait!" I cry out. Making Percy and Sophia jump.

"What is it?" Percy asks nervously, looking like he's preparing to defend himself.

"How do you know her name?" I ask in disbelief. Percy's eyes shoot around the room sheepishly.

"Um, uh, she told me?" He replies shyly. _She told him!_ I look down at Midnight, who tilts her head to side in a questioning way.

"B-but… What… Why?" I stutter out. Now it's Percy's turn to look confused.

"Because she wanted to?" He replies slowly, looking uncertain.

"But she hasn't spoken to anyone since…" Sophia starts. But stops as her voice catches and she holds back tears.

"Since when?" Percy questions, looking from me to Sophia. I can feel the sadness building in my chest and I sigh and look down.

"Since Zoë died. That's Zoë's wolf." I tell him quietly

"She's actually the one who found you." Sophia adds. He just looks down at the wolf in wonder and awe.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring Zoë back to you." The guilt thick in his words, as he sadly strokes her head with downcast eyes. But a soft whine and a lick on the hand brings a small smile to his sad face.

"Thank you Midnight." He whispers, scratching her chin. _This boy is something else._ I just shake my head before sitting at the end of his bed.

"Sophia, would you mind grabbing some leftover food for him?" I ask her.

"Sure. Give me a minute." She replies, quickly exiting the tent. I turn back to Percy as he affectionately strokes Midnight. _Well they've really hit it off._

"So where will you head next? As I'm guessing Camp Half-Blood is out of the question." I ask. He looks thoughtful for a second before shrugging his shoulders.

"No idea. But I'm not staying in this park, that's for sure." He returns casually. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Do you ever have a plan?" I groan loudly. He has the bloody cheek to laugh, a warm hearty laugh.

"Not really. I was thinking of making "winging it" my new motto." He replies with his lopsided grin. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed and testing his legs out, before standing up.

"I should probably tell Chiron I nearly died." He mumbles, stretching.

He starts to make his way towards the exit, before stomping at the exit.

"You guys didn't happen to bring my stuff did you?" He asks hopefully.

"Um, I didn't see anything when we found you." I reply lamely. He just sighs and turns to me.

"Do you mind if I borrow a -" He's cut off by Midnight nudging his leg with a backpack in her mouth. _Where the Hades did she get that?_ Percy looks back at me questioningly, but I just shake my head.

"When did you grab this?" Percy asks, his shock evident. Thinking back, she did run off after we found her with Percy.

"Well, thank you very much. You're a star." He winces at his own words, but takes the bag and heads out of the tent with Midnight close on his heels.

 _Well that's an interesting friendship._

 **(Percy POV)**

(In the evening)

Chiron wasn't happy when I told him what happened and tried very hard to convince me to return to camp. It was hard to turn him down, but I did and I feel it's for the best.

Midnight has followed me around all day. She's really nice and unbelievably soft, like oh my Gods she's like a cloud. We talked about loads of stuff as well, like Zoë, my adventures, which took some convincing from both Thalia and myself for her to finally believe me, and her time in the hunt with and without Zoë.

She really loved Zoë, from what she told me Zoë saved her when she was a pup when she was abandoned and they were inseparable from then on. I apologised a couple of times, but she shut me down pretty quick, saying it wasn't my fault.

We played quite a bit as well, which was great fun. A bit dangerous with the occasional snap and swipe of a paw, but fun all the same.

Anyway, it's now about 7pm and about time I left the Hunters camp. I'm currently checking I have everything in by bag. Ambrosia? Check, Nectar? Check, Pouch of Drachma's? Check, and finally wallet of money? Check. I'm currently wearing my last pair of clothes, Cyclone is strapped across the back of my waist. My shield watch is strapped to my left wrist and riptide is safely in my pocket.

Thankfully Thalia let me restock my Ambrosia and Nectar, as well as letting me take a 2 litre metal water bottle. In silver obviously. Don't know why I didn't think of a water bottle before, it's a great way to bring water into any fight no matter where I am.

With all that packed I throw my bag over my shoulder and step out of the medical tent to meet Thalia, Artemis and Midnight.

"Come to say farewell to little old me? Guys I'm touched, but you didn't have to." I joke, earning a glare from Artemis and a small snigger from Thalia and Midnight, in my head.

I kneel down and stroke Midnights head.

"I guess this is goodbye for now little lady." I whisper.

 _"_ _I don't know why, but I feel like I should be going with you Percy. I want to go with you."_ She says in my head, as she whines.

"Yea, I wish you could. The company would be nice, but I don't think Artemis would allow it." I whisper back. I stand as she whines again. I give Thalia a quick hug and bow to Artemis.

"Till next time." I say, a little sad that to be out on my own again. I give Sophia and a few others I know from camp a wave as I leave, earning glares from the Hunters who don't like me.

 _Where to now?_

 **(Thalia POV)**

I only managed to catch the end of what Percy whispered to Midnight, and it seems that Midnight wanted to go with Percy, but he says something about Artemis.

Midnight whines but seems to accept it, as a disheartened looking Percy stands and give me a hug and bows to Artemis and says.

"Till next time." His voice wobbled a little, but he held it together well as he walked away. Midnights gives a sorrowful howl and slowly walks back to the other wolves.

"They both seem a little sad." Artemis observes.

"Yea they seemed to have become friends really quickly." I add. _Should I tell her that Midnight wants to go with him? How will she take it? I've never heard of a wolf leaving before._ I glance at Artemis, who is watching as Percy disappears into the trees. I look back at Midnight who is walking to the pens; head low, ears flat and tail almost between her back legs.

 _She was so happy today, maybe she should go with Percy. Maybe it'll help both of them with their loses._ Once Percy is fully out of sight Artemis starts to make her way towards the mess tent for dinner. _I have to ask now._

"U-um, Lady Artemis…" I stammered, suddenly getting really nervous. She turns to my questioningly, waiting for me to continue.

"Well out with it." She says when I don't say anything for a few second.

"How would you feel letting a wolf leave the Hunt?" I ask, steeling my nerves. She gives me a confused look as she thinks over my question.

"Well, I guess if one wanted to leave, then I probably would depending on the reason." She replies thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask?" She inquires, raising an eyebrow. I shrink a little under her gaze, and she's not even glaring at me.

"Well I think that Midnight wants to go with Percy, and I think we should let her. It'll be good for them both." I admitted quietly, looking at the ground. I can feel Artemis gaze boring into me, but she doesn't say anything. _Yea she's not taking this well._

I'm about to apologise, when Artemis sighs. I look up to see her looking a little defeated.

"You are probably right Thalia. I saw how happy she was today, and even Perseus seemed to brighten up as well. Fetch Midnight and I'll ask her." She says a little dejected. I smile and run after Midnight, joy building up inside me. I catch up with her just before she gets into the pens.

"Midnight! Artemis wants to ask you something." I call out to her. She raises her head a little, but just lowers it again as she follows me back to Artemis.

"I have a question to ask you Midnight." Artemis starts, looking down at the depressed wolf with soft eyes. Midnight doesn't respond, but just looks at the ground.

"I know you haven't been doing well since Zoë's death. So I let you do as you please, hoping it would help you recover." Artemis expanded, Midnight's head sinking lower.

"But after seeing you with Percy today, something was made very clear." Midnights ear perk up when she hears Percy's name.

"So I ask you this. Would you like to leave the Hunt?" Artemis asking softly, making Midnight's head rocket up. Her eyes bright and head cocked excitedly.

 _"_ _Mistress, are you saying I can go with Percy?"_ She asks so excitedly, that she broadcasts it to me as well as Artemis as she bounces on her front paws.

"If that is what you want, I will let you go." Artemis replies sadly but with a smile, seeing how happy the wolf is.

 _"_ _Mistress, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been an absolute honour serving you all these years."_ Midnight says, bowing her head and then nuzzling one of Artemis' hands lovingly.

"May the moon guide you Μεσάνυχτα." Artemis whispers as Midnight bounds off into the trees after Percy. _"_ _Good choice."_ The voice from my dream speaks into my head. _That was the decision I had to make? Whether or not to tell Artemis._

I watch as Artemis looks fondly at the disappearing wolf, then it hits. _Midnight was the last reminder Artemis had of Zoë._ No wonder she seems upset about letting her go.

"Well I do believe it is time for dinner." Artemis says, quickly turning towards the mess tent. Trying to hide a couple of stray tears.

 _Good luck out the Kelp Head._

 ** _A/N: This chapter bounces around a little bit, but I hope you still enjoyed it. As always, if you see a problem with something let me know._**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

 _Where am I going to go next?_ I really hadn't thought about it very much, planning ahead really isn't my forte. _I suppose I could go see how mum is doing._ She should be about 5 months pregnant now, and I might not get a chance to see her for a while depending on where I go.

"Well I guess that decides it. Off to mums I go." I say, turning towards New York and starting my long lonely hike.

I've been walking about an hour, when I hear some rustling in to woods. I quickly crouch down, my hand slowly going to Riptide in my pocket. _I swear if this is another bloody rabbit I'm going to kill it._ The rustling lasts a few seconds longer and then stops. I wait for a minute to see if anything else happens and when it doesn't I get up and continue walking.

"Bloody forest making my think I'm going to die every few minutes." I mutter angrily, kicking at a stray rock.

When all of a sudden I'm tackled from behind by a large mass of fur. I would like to say that I took it well, kept my cool. But I would be lying, because I scream like a little girl and cover my head with my hands. Waiting for something to bite me or hit me. But instead it just licks my hands and the back of my head excitedly. _What the Hades?_

 _"_ _I found you!"_ Midnights voice explodes into my head, making me wince slightly.

"Oh, hi Midnight." I reply, trying to calm myself from thinking I was about to die. _Wait! What the fuck is Midnight doing here?_ I role over so that I am now facing Midnights onslaught of licks face on. _Wonderful, I'm going to smell like dog breath till I get home._

"Midnight, what're you doing here?" I manage to ask between licks. I am actually ecstatic, I can't believe she's actually here. I'm not even sure why, we only met today, but I already feel like I have a fairly unshakeable bond with her.

 _"_ _My Mistress said that I could travel with you."_ She replies, elated. _Artemis let her come, I didn't think she would let her._ I smile at the large wolf in disbelief as I push myself up into a sitting position, making her step back a little. Her silver eyes almost glowing with happiness.

"Well I'm glad you're here little lady. It'll be great having someone with me. If travelling with me is really what you want." I say with a smile as I pull her into a hug, Gods she's soft. Which she accepts greedily, basically climbing onto me for it. _It's been a long time that she's had any contact like this, hasn't it._

 _"_ _As am I Percy, and it really is. I feel like my master would have agreed as well."_ Her gentle voice small and loving, the image of Zoë pops into my head as she finishes. I let her go and pull myself to my feet, dusting off my jeans. _I really don't know how Zoë would react to this._ I look down at the excited wolf with a smile.

"Well you knew her better than I did, so I'll take your word on it." I return as I continue my long hike, with my new companion running through the trees around me happily.

 _"_ _Where are we headed anyway?"_ She inquires after a few minutes. I can still hear the happiness in her gentle voice.

"Well we are going to make a quick stop at my mums house, and then after that, um, I guess make it up as we go along." I chime happily.

 _"_ _That's your plan?"_ She inquires, sounding a little shocked. _I'm guessing she's used to a little more of a structure when planning things._ I laugh quietly to myself.

"Welcome to my life. Don't worry, we'll make it work." I snigger, watching her run through the trees.

 _"_ _Your plan needs work."_ She mutters quietly. I grin and carry on walking.

(Line Break)

It's about 11pm when we finally stop to sleep for the night. We set up next to a lake among a couple of trees, next to what look suspiciously like a golf course. It's just my luck to get hit by golf ball in the morning, I can just feel it. We're sleeping in the open air tonight as my tent got destroyed by the last monster attack, which sucks by the way. I take my backpack and Cyclone off and sit down against a tree, with Midnight lying next to me resting her head on my lap.

"Midnight, what led you to me when I was dying?" I ask, looking up at the dark sky trying to spot some stars.

 _"_ _I'm not really sure. I just had a feeling that pulled me towards you, and you have a similar scent to Zoë. I guess that might have been part of it."_ She replies sleepily. _I have a similar scent to Zoë?_ Maybe she means the smell of the Ocean. If I remember correctly Zoë said that her mother was Pleione, a water nymph.

"Do you think it's because I'm a son of Poseidon and she was the daughter of a water nymph?" I ask, slowly drifting in Morpheus' realm.

 _"_ _Maybe."_ Is the last thing I hear before falling asleep, for about ten seconds. Before a blood curdling scream pulls me back to reality. _The fuck was that?_ Midnight is up and looking off towards the golf course.

 _"_ _Someone is being attacked, and I smell monsters."_ She informs me quickly. I jump to my feet and draw Cyclone.

"Ok, take me to it and keep it quiet." I quietly command. She seems to scoff at me, the idea of her being the loud one baffling her and then shoots off towards the noise. I follow her as quickly as I can, preparing myself for the potential fight.

We run right up to the clubhouse, where we spot a pair of Cyclops' meandering between the cars. _Why're there still cars here?_ I shake the irrelevant question from my head and crouch down next to Midnight.

"Can you see what they're chasing?" I whisper to her.

 _"_ _You know you can talk to me in your head right."_ She states, glancing back at me. _No, I didn't know that._

 _"_ _Um, yes?"_ I reply uncertainly, projecting the message mentally. _This feels stupid._

 _"_ _Are you lying to me?"_ She asks, her eyes drifting back to the Cyclops'. I look at her in mock hurt.

 _"_ _I would never."_ I say, putting my hand on my chest. Before turning serious.

 _"_ _But seriously, do you see anything?"_ I ask again.

 _"_ _I can't see anything, but I can smell a Demigod hiding amongst the cars."_ She responds, still scanning the car park. Well it looks like we have to help whoever it is.

"Alright, you go around and sneak up on the left one and I'll get the right one." I whisper, momentarily forgetting about the telepathy. Midnight nods at me and prowls off into the darkness, as I sneak the other way. I keep Cyclone low, so that it doesn't reflect any light and give away my position.

"Come out so we can eat you!" One of the Cyclops' bellows. _Well he seems strangely literate._ I slowly creep closer, until there is only one car between my Cyclops and me.

 _"_ _Are you ready?"_ I call out in my mind, hoping the telepathy works over this distance.

 _"_ _I've been waiting for you."_ Midnight protests. _I guess it's a given that she would be in place first._ I take a breath and leap over the car swinging at the Cyclops. Only to have my blade stopped by mismatched armour, _well that's new._ I quickly jump back as its club comes hurtling towards me.

I see a blur of movement to my left, and realise that it's Midnight snapping and clawing at the other Cyclops' legs. Whilst dancing out of the way of its strikes, while said Cyclops calls her a bad dog.

I dodge out of the way of another swing and then launch myself at the Cyclops, slashing at its exposed side. It howls in pain as each slash finds it mark, but this seems to only annoy it more and making it charge at me. I quickly turn and run, sliding over the bonnet of a car in the process. _I've always wanted to do that!_ The Cyclops sends the car flying and carries on chasing me. An idea starts to form in my head, making my grin. _I got this._ I jump up onto the bonnet and spin to face the Cyclops, which smiles at me like I've gone mad.

"You mine now!" It shouts. My grin only grows, as it gets closer. It swings its club at me, but at the last second I jump up and over the club and jab Cyclone through its eye. Making the Cyclops explode into golden dust. As I land I quickly turn to go help Midnight, to see her sitting on the roof of a car about 5 meters away.

 _"_ _How long have you been watching?"_ I ask, looking at her in confusion.

 _"_ _A minute or so."_ She replies, scratching her ear like nothing just happened. _The whole fight took about a minute, and she just sat there?_ I struggle to keep myself from laughing.

 _"_ _I could have died."_ I press on, trying to make her feel bad for watching.

 _"_ _Nah, you were doing fine."_ She casually replies jumping off the car. _I'm not going to win this one._ I sigh and look around for the Demigod, I wonder where they're hiding.

"You can come out now, the monsters are dead." I call out to the silent car park, and big surprise nothing happens.

I glance down at Midnight, who nods back and runs off into the car park. I sit down on the now upturned car and wait. Less than a minute later I hear a scream, _I guess she found them._ I then spot Midnight trotting back, dragging a small body behind her. _That can't be good._

 _"_ _He fainted when I found him."_ She says, dropping the young scruffy looking boy at my feet and sitting next to me, he has curly black hair and a slight tan. _Well we can't leave him here._ I pick him up and carry him to where I left my stuff by the water.

(Line Break)

It only takes about 10 minutes for the little boy to wake up and only a second for him to panic and crawl away from me. Fear evident in his hazel eyes.

"W-who a-are you?" He stutters out. Looking around nervously, and shrinks away when he sees Midnight lying down next to me.

"I'm Percy, what's your name?" I ask as softly as I can, trying not to scare him further. He looks at me cautiously before answering.

"Jason Green. What happened to the scary one eyed men?" He asks, still looking around nervously.

"They're gone now, don't worry about them. How old are you Jason?" I inquire, with a kind smile. He seems to relax when I tell him the Cyclopes' are gone, but doesn't come any closer.

"I'm 7. Do you know why those men were chasing me? And why did they only have one eye?" He quickly shoots out.

"I think I know the answer to your questions, but first. What do you know about the Greek Gods?" I ask, keeping my voice low and calm. He gives me a confused look before replying.

"I've watched Hercules Disney movie." He replies innocently. _Well this is going to take a while to explain._

It takes me about half an hour to fully explain the Greek pantheon, monsters, Camp Half-Blood and that he's more than likely a Demigod. He sees to take it surprisingly well, before firing off some many questions so quickly I can barely keep up. But the ones I latch onto are, 'Do you know who my mum is? Do I have special powers? Where can I get a wolf like that?' The last one makes me laugh a little as it feels like Midnight is grinning at me.

"Well from your appearance and the fact that the grass and bushes have grown to about twice their size since you got here. I'd say your mum is Demeter, the second eldest Goddess and Goddess of Agriculture and some other things." I explain to him. He just nods wide eyed at me, inching a little closer.

"As for powers, you should have control over all plants." I continue, as he looks down at his hands in awe.

"And you can't get a wolf like Midnight, she's special." I finish, giving her a soft stroke between her ears. Earning myself a happy whine in return, Jason looks a little disheartened at that.

"So will I be going to the Camp Half-Blood?" He asks quietly, looking a little scared.

"Yea, but it's a great place. Everyone is really nice and you'll make loads of friend I promise." I reassure him. He nods weakly and crawls a little closer.

"How about we get some sleep and I'll send you to camp tomorrow. It's only in Long Island." I suggest, indicating for him to crawl a little closer. He does, and lies down next to Midnight. _What an eventful evening._

(Line Break)

Midnight nudges me awake from a dreamless sleep at the crack of dawn, with the sun just peaking over the horizon. I groan and roll onto my front, pushing myself onto all fours.

 _"_ _You look good like that, it looks more natural."_ Midnight giggles into my head.

"Oh shut up you pelican." I mutter at her tiredly.

 _"_ _Pelican?"_ She questions, tilting her head to the side.

"Yea I don't know either, it's too early." I mumble back.

"Who're you talking to?" Jason asks sleepily, looking over at me and wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"To Midnight." I reply, pushing myself to my feet and stretching my back out and letting out a content sigh when I hear a couple of clicks. _That feels better._

"We should get going." I say, picking up my backpack and reattaching Cyclone to the back of my waist. I catch Jason eyeing my sword with wonder and grin.

"You can get one at Camp. After you've trained." I quickly add, the picture of him running around with a sword and stabbing himself flashing through my head. He nods happily, probably picturing something very different.

"Let's go then." He urges

We walk for about an hour before I spot and hail a taxi. I give him my home address and we all pile into the back. I have no idea what he's seeing Midnight as, but I doubt it's a Chihuahua. It takes about an hour for the taxi driver to get to my mums place. As we're pulling up I turn to Jason.

"Alright little man, this is where we part ways. When you get to the address, carry on walking up the road and you'll see a hill. Walk up over the hill and you should spot camp, or someone will spot you. Tell them Percy sent you and you'll be fine." I quietly explain to him, handing him about $200. _That should be enough._ He nods and gives me a hug.

"Thank you for saving me Percy." He cries a little into my shoulder. I smile, pat his head and step out of the taxi, making sure to pay for the fare up to here. I wave at Jason as the taxi pulls away, praying to Demeter to watch over her child until he gets to camp.

 _"_ _He's a nice kid."_ Midnight says, drawing my attention.

"Yea, Katie's gonna love him." I reply quietly, turning towards my mums building.

 _"_ _Who's Katie?"_ She asks inquisitively, padding after me.

"She's a friend at camp, and the head counsellor of the Demeter cabin." I quickly reply, giving the doorman a friendly nod. He give's me a once over, looks at Midnight for a minute and then lets me in. _That's a relief._

When I knock on the door, my somewhat pregnant looking mum answers the door.

"Oh Percy, it's great to se… Oh my gods is that a WOLF!" She screams, finally seeing Midnight. Midnight just looks at her with wide eyes.

"Yea, Artemis let her came with me." I explain, patting her head. My mum just looks shocked at my statement and steps aside to let me in.

"Sally what's wro… Oh, hi Percy. When did you get a Husky?" He asks calmly, after skidding into the hall. _Huh, she looks like a husky. Bet she loves that._

 _"_ _Did he call me a Husky?!"_ She fumed, making my chuckle. We all walk into the sitting room and sit down.

"So this is Midnight. She used to be one of Artemis' wolves, until yesterday. When she agreed to let her come with me." I explain, petting her affectionately. Paul's face drops in a flash and then he just rubs his temples. _He's still not used to this world._

"Why would she let one of her wolves go with a man?" My mum asks.

"That's actually a great question. I have no idea, she came to me after I left their camp." I say thoughtfully, looking down at Midnight. Who has decided to stay silent on the matter. _Is she still upset at being called a Husky?_

"Why were you at Artemis' camp." She inquires, making me freeze and look at her with a guilty smile.

"Perseus Achilles Jackson! What happened?" She demands, my smile vanishing at my whole name.

"Well you see…" I then explain the whole me getting attacked, watering down how close to dying I was and getting saved by the Hunters. By the end my mum is fuming, calling my stupid and reckless. At which Midnight walked over and sat next to my mum and nodded along.

 _"_ _Traitor."_ I mutter to her telepathically.

 _"_ _She's right though."_ Is all Midnight says in reply. I just sigh and accept the verbal punishment like a man.

"Anyway, would it be ok if I stayed here for the night. Till I can figure out where to go next." I cut in as mum takes a breath. Making her lose her train of thought.

"Of course, your room is just as you left it." She replies sweetly.

"Thanks mum, you're the best." I add, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Midnight softly headbutts mum stomach, wishing her well with her pregnancy. We all smile down at the affectionate wolf and her soft nature, not that they heard what she said. She then pads after me to my room.

My room is by definition an organised mess, or as others like to say, a bombsite. My beds messy, there are clothes all over the floor, along with some spare armour. The moonlace flower that Calypso gave me still sits on my windowsill. Midnight immediately jumps up onto the end of my bed and curls up. _I should probably get some food for her, and myself while I'm at it._ I dump my bag and wonder back towards the kitchen, where mum is making some breakfast and I can see that she's making enough for Midnight and me as well. _She's so great._

"So Percy, any idea's where you'll go next?" Paul asks, as he walks into the room. _What day is it? Doesn't he have work?_

"Um, I'm not really sure. But it'll be a bit further a field than last time." I say thoughtfully, taking a seat and Paul follows suit.

"Is there nowhere else you can go which is safe and protected?" Paul questions, his teacher side taking over a little bit.

"No not really. I mean there is Camp Jupiter and New Rome, but I couldn't impose on them like that." I reply, leaning back and looking at the ceiling.

"Weren't you a Praetor? And doesn't your tattoo mark you as part of the Legion?" He continues, looking over at mum to confirm his facts.

"I'm sure they would welcome you dear. You have friends there don't you." Mum adds, turning away from making breakfast. _Could I go to Camp Jupiter? It never crossed my mind._ I look back and forth between them, thinking over what they said.

"I guess I could call Reyna and ask." I concede with a sigh.

"Go on then. It's better to find out sooner, rather than later." Mum says, turning back to breakfast. With a sigh, I get up and walk over to the tap. I turn it on and will some of the water to my hand.

With a ball of water the size of a baseball floating in my hand, I open the blinds over the window fully. Letting the sun shine through. I catch Paul fascinated expression in the window. I suddenly realise. _He's never seen my powers like this before._ I will the water to turn into a mist.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Reyna in New Rome." I pray, pulling a Drachma from my pocket and throwing it into the small rainbow. After a couple of seconds, an image of Reyna doing paper work forms in front of me. _Ever the workaholic._

"Hey Reyna." I call out, making her jump about a foot into the air. Before she glares at me, and I'm sure if a look could kill. I'd already be in Tartarus.

"What can I do for you Jackson?" She returns keeping her voice calm.

"You see, I was wondering if I could come and stay at New Rome for a little while." I ask, getting quieter towards the end. She gives me a confused look, puts her pen down and bridges her fingers.

"I guess, but what is wrong with Camp Half-Blood?" She inquires. I look down, sadness building in my chest.

"Um, how about I explain when I get there." I offer weakly. She seems to pick up that I don't want to talk about it and nods.

"Well then, I shall see you when you arrive." Professionalism filling her words, before she swipes through the message.

"Well she seems nice." Mum says, plating up some bacon and eggs. _Yea, you would think that._

 _I guess I'm heading to New Rome._

 ** _A/N: Here I am again, writing at 4 in the morning. Work's gonna be a bitch tomorrow. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and as always. Let me know if something is wrong._**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **(Chiron POV)**

When Travis comes running up to me, I expect the worst. Someone's been injured or monsters are attacking. But when he tells me that a new camper has arrived I sigh in relief.

"Would you take me to them?" I ask the son of Hermes. He just nods and makes his way back to the gate to Camp. As we get closer to the gate I spot a small looking boy standing next to Clarisse, who is fully clad in armour and glaring down at the boy. _That's probably not a great first impression._

"Thank you Travis." I say, before trotting towards the pair in front of me.

"Thank you Clarisse, you may return to your patrol." I thank the girl, giving her a nod. She grunts in return and walks back to the palisade. The boy visibly relaxes when she leaves and looks at me with an expression of awe.

"Are you Chiron?" He asks shyly. _He's well informed._

"Yes child, and who might you be?" I ask in return, indicating for him to follow me as I make my way towards the big house. He quickly follows after me, nearly tripping in his haste.

"I'm Jason, Jason Green." He quickly replies, falling into step next to me, his eyes drifting to my lower body.

"If you don't mind me asking Jason, how did you get here?" I inquire of the small boy, who is now looking around the camp in amazement.

"I was saved from Cyclops' by a guy name Percy last night, and then he put me in a cab which brought me here." He replies, not taking his eyes off of camp for a second. _Ah, I'm glad to hear that he's doing well._

"I see, and I'm going to assume that he explained everything about our world to you." I continue, now reaching the porch of the big house and motioning for him to sit in one of the chairs. He jumps into one of the chairs, his feet barely grazing the floor.

"Yep. He also told me that he thinks that my mother might be Demeter." He replies excitedly. _Well I can definitely see the resemblance, but we'll have to wait and see._

"I can see why he would say that, but we are going to have to wait until you are claimed before we can say for sure." I inform him, his face falling a little

"How old are you Jason?" I ask quickly, trying to change the subject.

"I'm 7." He supplies. _He must have only recently run away from home._ As I am thinking about what to do with the boy, Jason Grace walks by.

"Ah, Jason. Could you possibly go and get Katie for me." I ask him. He looks a little confused at first, but then spots the smaller boy and nods.

"Sure, give me a minute." He replies, quickly running off towards the cabins.

Jason returns a few minutes later with a slightly muddy Katie. _She must have been in the garden._ She smiles sweetly at the younger Jason and me.

"Thank you Jason." I say the to son of Zeus. _Gods this is going to get confusing._

"No problem." He replies, before walking off to wherever he was initially going.

"So what can I help you with Chiron." Katie asks sweetly.

"It would seem that Percy has sent us this young boy Jason, whom he believes may be your brother." I inform her, looking down at Jason Green. Who is smiling back at Katie and gives her a small wave. She returns his wave with one of her own.

"Well it's always nice to meet a new family member." She says with a smile. _Such a sweet girl._

"I was also wondering if you would mind showing him around camp. If you're not too busy that is." I ask.

"Of course. Come on Jason, let's have a look around." She beams, holding out one of her hands to him. Jason happily takes it and walks off with her, asking questions whilst looking around in wonder. One question I manage to hear makes both Katie and I laugh, causing him to blush a little bit.

"No, unfortunately you can't get your own wolf here. But you can ride Pegasus." She offers, making him smile again. _She's great with children. I'm glad she's here for them._

(Line Break)

At dinner I'm sitting in my wheelchair, watching the campers chat happily. Word that Percy sent a camper spread like wildfire, spurring a few to ask Jason questions about him. Which he seems more than happy to answer with what he knows. Getting really excited when he explains Percy's wolf companion Midnight. _I'll have to ask him about her next time he calls in._

Jason seems to have settled in nicely as well, a little put out at having to sit at the Hermes table instead of with Katie at the Demeter table. But it looks like he is making quick friends, with the younger campers.

As dinner is drawing to an end, I hear a loud gasp come from the Hermes table. I quickly turn to see what's caused it and spot the flickering image of crops and a small scythe, floating above Jason's confused head.

"All hail Jason Green, son of Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, Fertility, Sacred Law, the Harvest and the Seasons." I shout out over the quiet whispers. Everyone drops to a knee, in recognition of him being claimed. _It would seem Percy was right._ Jason is bright red as he receives pats on the back, congratulating him on being claimed, while he shyly thanks them. Katie gives him a big smile as he shyly wanders over to the Demeter table.

 _Thank you for safely delivering him Percy._

 **(Percy POV)**

(3 weeks later)

Trekking across America isn't actually as difficult as you would think, especially with Midnight in tow. Ok, maybe the only reason it's going so well is because I have Midnight with me.

Sticking predominantly to wooded areas, she hunts for us, finds us safe places to take shelter at night and alerts me when she senses any monsters near by. We have managed to miss a few of the bigger groups of monsters thanks to her.

Obviously we couldn't avoid them all, but we only ran into smaller groups. Mainly Hellhounds and Cyclops, which we dispatch with ease.

By the way, learning to dual wield swords was infuriatingly difficult. I nearly died like a dozen times, earning a scolding from Midnight. Which probably looked hilarious, a boy kneeling and apologising to a wolf. But I seriously thought she was going to rip my throat out a couple of time.

I'm guess we're about halfway through the trek, according to what mum said on how long it would take after she Googled it. It makes certain things so much easier thanks to her being able to use electronics.

I'm currently setting up camp in a hollow of a massive oak tree, _like seriously, you could fit a small family in here._

Midnight is off hunting for some dinner, _she's so great._ I make myself busy by making a small fire a few meters away from the oak tree we're calling home for the night and quickly light it with one of my last few matches. _Going to have to restock at when we come across a town or something._

I then sit down by the fire and open my water bottle and will a golf ball sized ball of water into the palm of my hand. I've been practicing with my powers every night, trying to find my true capabilities. I found out the other day that I can in fact create and manipulate ice, but it was unbelievably tiring.

For the next hour I practice turning the small amount of water to ice, manipulating it as ice and then melting it. You would be right to assume that I'm wiped out by the end when Midnight returns with two rabbits.

 _"_ _Training again?"_ She asks, not really paying attention as she drops one of the rabbits next to my feet.

 _"_ _Yea, can't be out of practice when we next get attacked."_ I reply mentally, the thought of even opening my mouth exhausting me further. I hear the soft sound of her laughing in my head.

 _"_ _Just don't kill yourself before this next encounter."_ She laughs lying down next to me. I move the water I was practicing with and drop it on my face, which immediately makes me feel a bit better. I push myself into a sitting position and look down at the rabbit.

"Let me guess, this is our dinner guest for the evening." I ask sarcastically. Midnight rolls her eyes at me as she take a bite out of her rabbit.

 _"_ _That depends on your definition of guest."_ She replies, I can feel the satisfaction of eating building in my head. _But I'm not eating yet._ I quickly push the thought away as I start to skin and gut the rabbit.

Gods, when I first skinned a rabbit I nicked the intestines by accident. That was the worst smell I have ever encountered in my life, the thought of it still makes me shudder.

But I like to think I've got fairly proficient at it now. I can now skin and gut a rabbit in like 5 minutes. I burn all the innards and the skin as offering to the Gods, especially my father and Artemis, thanking her for Midnight every night.

She has been a massive help, she's kept my mind off of Annabeth and everything back at camp and on the now less frequent days when everything creeps up on me and I can barely move or say anything. She sits with me, saying comforting words and nudges my lovingly. She has really saved me from the edge a couple of times now.

I eat my rabbit like a savage and demolish the meal in under a minute. Midnight once told me that I eat like more of a wild animal than she does. _I took it as a compliment._

I lean back onto the ground and look up at the thick canopy of leaves above me. _I wish I could see the stars._

"Hey Midnight, do you like the stars?" I ask her quietly, deep in thought.

 _"_ _I suppose. But you can't see as many as you used to because of light pollution."_ She replies quite matter of fact, still gnawing at her rabbit.

"I like the stars. An old friend is up there." I say sadly. She gives me a quizzical look as she finishes eating.

 _"_ _How can you have a friend in the stars?"_ She asks. I look at her with a raised eyebrow, _does she not know that Zoë is a constellation?_

"The constellation the Huntress is Zoë. Artemis put her in the stars so that everyone would remember her." I tell her, watching for her reaction. Midnight is silent for a while, deep in thought. I can feel happiness slowly building at the edge of my consciousness. _Why am I feeling happy?_ Slowly Midnight tilts her head back and howls, a happy and content howl to the heavens.

 _"_ _I never knew. Would you show me her sometime?"_ She asks, her voice a little wobbly and I'm sure if I could see her properly I would see a few tears.

"Sure, it's the least I can do." I reply kindly. I push myself to my feet and turn towards the hollow in the tree.

"But for now, let's get some sleep." I yawn, walking into the hollow and lying down. Midnight follows and lies down between the door and me, acting as an insulator.

"Good night little lady." I whisper tiredly, sleep already descending upon me.

 _"_ _Good night Percy."_ She whispers back.

(Line Break)

My eyes open to see a battle raging. _This looks familiar._

I slash at a Telekhine in two and roll away from a centaurs spear. _Telekhine's don't usually fight, do they?_ I quickly spin out of the way of the spear again, but this time I take the centaurs front two legs, making the front of its body drop to the floor. I quickly finish it off with a stab to the chest and survey the battlefield. _Is this Half-Blood Hill?_ I spot Jason fighting with a Cyclops and Piper charm speaking Laistrygonian Giants to step and fall onto their allies. _Why is this familiar?_

I move forward, cutting my way through monsters with a quick flick of my wrist and the occasional jab. I see the Greek campers going ballistic on the monster, attacking more ferociously than the monster could ever hope to manage. While the Romans are efficiently cutting their way through the ranks of monsters as massive units. _Oh how different we are._

It's only when the ground starts to shake that I finally realise where I am. _Gaia!_ I turn to Thalia's tree and spot the form of a woman slowly moulding itself into existence. _No! No, no, no, no, no. It's going to happen again!_

I quickly try and force my way to Gaia, but my legs feel like lead and the amount of monsters between us seems to have doubled. _I can't let it happen again!_

I dodge a javelin sailing towards me and spot an Ares kid about to be mauled by a Hellhound. _Fuck!_ I snatch the javelin that was flying past me out of the air, spin towards the Hellhound and launch the javelin straight at it. I nail the Hellhound right through the eye with javelin, covering the Ares kid in golden dust. I quickly go back to making my way towards Gaia, not waiting to see what the kid does. _I have to be quicker!_

I slam my foot into the ground causing a magnitude 5 earthquake under the monsters in front of me. The monsters begin to stumble, but the earthquake is cut short. I look up and see Gaia smiling maliciously at me. "The earth is my domain you fool!" She cries out over the battlefield. _Fine, how about water!_

I pull some of the water from the nearby lake and fire a high-pressure jet straight through the monsters in front of me. The first few monsters turn to dust instantly. The monsters that are further away aren't so lucky. The jet of water tears off limbs left, right and centre. It even punches straight through the breastplates of a few Dracanaes, making them crumble to dust excruciatingly slowly.

I sprint through the gap I just made and make my way up the hill towards Gaia. I begin to smile, _I made it._

I'm only ten meters away when my smile shatters. Gaia screams out, more in annoyance than pain as a sword sticks out of her back. _That's not a normal sword._ It's a Drakon bone sword. Gaia lashes out blindingly fast and seems to catch something.

A figure shimmers into view, as a baseball cap slowly falls away. Long blonde hair, with a grey streak and defiant grey eyes are the first things I notice. _No! Not again._

I try to run faster, but it feels like I'm running through quicksand. Gaia slowly turns to me with a sick grin, while Annabeth kicks her in the side.

"Any last words wisdom child?" Gaia asks in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Damasen sends his regards!" Annabeth spits, kicking her sword further into Gaia's side, causing her to grunt in pain.

"As you wish!" Gaia growls, throwing Annabeth towards me.

I try to run and catch her, but everything is moving in slow motion now. Annabeth is only about two meters away, when four earth spikes burst from the ground. Two piercing Annabeth's chest, one piercing just above her waist and the last one piercing her neck.

Her blood splashes across my face and shirt, freezing my heart. Time resumes normal speed as the spikes retract back into the ground. I skid to the ground next to Annabeth, tears building in my eyes. She looks up at me with her frighteningly intelligent eyes, which are already growing distant.

"Well that didn't go according to plan." She coughs with a weak smile, blood matting her princess curls.

"I guess not." I reply, as I start to cry and softly cradle her head. _I failed again!_

"I love you Seaweed Brain." She barely whispers as her last breath leaves her body. I release an agonising cry of pain and despair, which causes an earthquake and a small hurricane to begin forming around me. Stopping the fighting that's was raging behind me.

"Yes! Destroy it all yourself! Destroy Olympus!" Gaia laughs like a maniac, sadistic and psychotic.

"No. Only you." I say, deathly calm.

(Line Break)

I wake up wide-eyed and sweating buckets. A sharp pain radiating from my hand, I look down and see blood slowly pouring from some new holes in my hand.

 _"_ _You wouldn't wake up, so I had to improvise."_ A worried Midnight speaks into my head. I give her a soft pet on the head and pull some water from my bottle onto my hand.

 _"_ _It's ok, and thank you."_ I reply softly. She gives my face a quick lick before going rigid.

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_ I ask, my hands going to Riptide and Cyclone. She slowly turns to the entrance and creeps towards it.

 _"_ _I sense a powerful presence just outside."_ She whispers, edging closer to the entrance. I follow as quietly as I can, and peak out into the woods. For a second I don't see anything, but then I spot a small body sitting by the ember of the fire I made, prodding it with a stick. _Is that Hestia?_

"Hello Percy, and you to Midnight." Hestia's soothing voice greets. I almost fall out of the hollow in surprise.

"U-um, hi Lady Hestia." I quickly reply, bowing my head. She laughs sweetly, holding a hand up to me.

"You do not need to bow to me or call me Lady Hestia Percy. Not after everything you have done for me." She states kindly.

"If you are sure Hestia." I reply uncertainly. But she just gives me a bright smile. _Why is she in her 9 year old form?_ I mentally shake that question away.

"What brings you here tonight Hestia?" I inquire, as she gets the fire to burst back into life.

"I have a… proposition for you." She replies mysteriously, the flames dancing in her eyes.

 _Well this should be good._

 ** _A/N: Back again with your 4am update, hahaha sleep is for the weak. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I'm assuming if you've read this far you know the drill by now._**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

I take a seat next to Hestia and rest a hand on Midnight as she lies down next to me.

"Ok, so what's this proposition?" I inquire, watching the flames dance around the stick Hestia is using. Hestia takes a minute to expand on her proposition, thoughtfully tending the small fire. _How did she even find me?_ Hestia takes a deep breath and turns to me, a small fire literally burning in her eyes.

"Percy I would like to offer you the position as my Champion." She offers a little shyly, while I look at her a little confused. _What does she mean by Champion?_ Midnight's reaction on the other hand is very different. Her head is up and looking at Hestia in a flash, shock evident in her eyes.

 _"_ _Hestia has never had a Champion Percy. Do you realise what this means?"_ Midnight gasps in my head.

 _"_ _Would you believe me if I said yes?"_ I quietly reply.

 _"_ _No."_

 _"_ _Then no, I don't get the importance."_ I reply guiltily. Hestia is looking at me with a look of worry, her hands are shaking a little too. She actually looks a little nervous.

"Um, what exactly is a Champion Hestia?" I ask, scratching the back of me head a little nervous myself. She looks like she just realised she left out a massive chunk of information, and laughs a little.

"I guess that would be useful to know." She replies, going back to tending the fire.

"Well throughout our long history, the Gods have occasionally chosen exceptional Demigods to be their Champions. These chosen few have receive immortality and serve their Patrons for as long as they are able." She pauses for a second to let what she said sink in. _Well that doesn't sound so bad I suppose._

"But I've never actually had a Champion before, as I have never met a Demigod that is as caring, selfless and loyal as you." She expands, pulling a ball of flames out of the fire and playing with it in her hands. I look at her in shock, _I'm not as great as she's making me sound._

"And as my first Champion, when you receive my blessing all the abilities you'll receive from me will be somewhat random." She finishes, dropping the ball of fire back into the fire and turning to me. I look at her for a minute, trying to figure out if she is holding anything back. _That last bit sounded a little shady._ She just looks at me with sincere eyes, I give Midnight a quick look out of the corner of my eye and she just mentally shrugs at me. _It would be a massive honour._

"It would be an honour Hestia, if you'll have me." I reply with a smile, one that finally reaches my eyes. Her eyes light up, like literally, her eyes are aflame as she smiles at me happily. _I'm sure this can only be a good thing._

"That's great!" She exclaims, grabbing my hands in hers.

"Now, let's perform the ritual to make you my Champion." She continues happily. You would be surprised how terrifying a 9 year old girl with fire for eyes would be, especially if she has an iron grip.

"Sure, let's do this." I say as casually as I can. Trying to get a handle on this irrational fear of Hestia. _But there doesn't really seem to be any down sides to this. Which worries me a little bit, Greek history shows that there is always a downside._

She starts to speak in an ancient sounding language and the fire starts to grow in size and ferocity. _That's not worrying._ She finishes her chant and looks at me, her eyes like tiny supernovas.

"Are you ready?" She asks, holding out her hand.

"I am." I reply, slowly reaching for her hand. But before I can take her hand, she presses her palm against my chest and an intense burning pain spreads through my chest.

"Oh yea, this might hurt." She kindly informs me, he voice overflowing with power and threatening destruction. _Yep, here's the downside._ The pain increases tenfold causing me to black out.

(Line Break)

When I wake up, my whole body aches and burns. Then everything that happened comes flooding back to me. _So I guess I'm the Champion of Hestia now._ I groan and try to sit up, but find a weight on my chest and when I look down I see Midnight fast asleep. _How long was I asleep?_

"You weren't asleep that long, only a few hours." Hestia says from her spot next to the fire. She looks a little upset as she pokes at the flames. _What's up with her?_

"Percy look… I-I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the pain." Regret deep in her words.

"It's ok. It wasn't that bad." I reply with a gravelly voice, slowly moving Midnights head so that I can sit up.

"No, it's not. It's just that, we aren't a loud to tell you. Zeus declared it years ago, something about a show of character. In all honesty its ridiculous." She continues sorrowfully. Sadly poking at the fire.

"It's really ok, don't worry about it." I press, moving to sit next to her. I move to put my hand on her back to comfort her but hesitate. _Am I a loud to do this? Fuck it, she's sad_. I put my hand on her back and start to rub soothing circles on her back. She still looks sad, but it looks like she's getting better.

"Anyway, why don't we see what powers you got?" She says, trying to sound a bit more cheerful. I give her a smile and nod as she turns to me.

"I'm going to need you to take your shirt off." She says, her confidence compelling me to start to lift my shirt. _Wait, What?_

"Um, why?" I ask cautiously, stopping my hands.

"Just take it off and I'll show you." She states, a little angrily. I comply and pull my shirt up and over my head. Her eyes stare intently at something around my chest and shoulder. _What is it?_ I look down and gasp, spreading from the left side of my chest, up and over my shoulder and halfway down my arm is an intricate tattoo. _What the actual fucking Hades!_

I look between Hestia and my knee tattoo a few times, silently freaking out a little. _I mean its cool, but wouldn't you be a little freaked out waking up with a tattoo?_

Hestia inspects my tattoo for a little while longer, getting up and walking around me before sitting back down colour draining from her face. _Well that can't be good._

"What is it?" I ask nervously. Looking back down at the tattoo to examine it properly. There is a massive hearth covering the left side of my chest, with the flames bursting from it and forming the background of the rest of the tattoo. Along the inside of my bicep, is a donkey kicking, _her sacred animal._ On the back of my shoulder I can just spy the head of a howling wolf, _is that meant to signify Midnight?_ Between the three images are lines of Greek, spiralling and crisscrossing. _I c_ _an't even read that._

"I can't believe it." Hestia mutters, glancing at the sky worriedly. _Yea, this is only calming my nerves._ I'm about to ask what the problem is, but Hestia cuts me off.

"Percy, you have gained some interesting powers." She says shakily.

"You have gained pyrokinesis, food conjuration, sanctuary protection and prohibition and amokinesis immunity." She finishes almost whispering. _Why's she whispering?_

"Ok and what do those mean?" I whisper back, feeling a little stupid. She looks around a bit nervously and leans in closer.

"Well, you will have some ability to control fire, summon home cooked meals. Which isn't really a big deal." She starts quietly.

"But you can also provide sanctuary for anyone you want from the Gods, as long as they are in a building that you make a sanctuary. And lastly, you have immunity to Aphrodite and anyone else with powers over love." She finishes, making my eyes bulge. _Is she serious? That seems a little ridiculous for a Demigod to have._ She takes a deep calming breath before turning back to the fire.

"I will train you in your new powers, but you cant tell anyone about the last two unless absolutely necessary. Swear on the Styx Percy." She begs, getting a little teary. I swear the oath without hesitating, and the sound of rolling thunder seals it.

"I'm sorry Percy, these may actually cause you more problems in the future." She whispers. I just laugh a little as I lie back down.

"What's life without a few problems?" I tell her with a grin.

 _Just a standard Demigod life. Yea, as if._

A burning on my right wrist pulls my attention. I my arm and inspect my Camp Jupiter Tattoo, next to the trident that marks me as a son of Neptune. Is a small hearth, _I guess that's because I'm now her Champion._

"We'll start training your powers tomorrow, so you should get some rest." She says, and I immediately start falling asleep.

 _Well this should be exciting._

(1 Month Later)

Everyday from dawn till dusk I train with Hestia. Mainly my pyrokinesis and summoning food, she says that my fire powers will always be weaker than my water powers. Something about water being my main element and that having both is kind of a contradiction. But I have enough power over fire for it to be useful in a fight, which is good.

She also showed me how to provide a sanctuary, which is easy enough. I just have to burn the symbol of a hearth into the building and it will become a safe heaven, which is even safe against the powers of the Gods. Which still baffles me.

The amokinesis immunity is more of a passive ability, so it's always there. I don't really have to think about turning it on or anything. _Which is an up I guess._

But the coolest part is that around my sea green irises is now a ring of crimson fire. _Which, if I am being honest, is fucking cool._ But other than training, I would just hangout with Hestia. She's actually really cool, she has a great sense of humour and spoils me with home comforts. Like an actual bed in the middle of the woods, _can you imagine that?_

I also don't have to worry about buying food anymore, which is really handy. But most importantly, no one has noticed that I'm her Champion yet. _Which can only extend my lifespan._

I've also been practicing my water powers daily, I can now make and manipulate ice with a lot more ease. But it is still a lot more exhausting than just using water, so it'll have to be a last resort ability.

"Well, I guess that's about as much as I can teach you in the time we have." Hestia states sadly, pulling my off the ground and finishing our last morning training session. I'm drenched in sweat and breathing hard. It still takes a lot of energy to use fire, but it is getting easier.

"I can't thank you enough Hestia. I can't even begin to imagine how long it would have taken me to get even this good without your help." I thank her, stretching out my back. Midnight comes padding over and nuzzles my side.

"Yes, I haven't forgotten about you my Little Lady." I say, scratching between her ears.

 _"_ _Good to know."_ She replies happily.

 _"_ _But I'm actually hungry. Can I have something?"_ She asks sweetly. I give her a grin and summon her a raw steak, which she grabs and runs off with happily.

Interesting fact, when I use my fire powers my tattoo glows a deep red. Scared the shit out of me when I first saw it.

"I guess it's time to move onto Camp Jupiter Percy." Hestia says, appearing next to me with a new bigger backpack. _I have a backpack._

"I've enchanted this bag to be able to carry just about anything with no added weight." She explains, handing it over to me. I quickly open it and find all my stuff has been transferred over to it. _Well that's pretty cool._

"And as a parting gift I give you this." She says, handing me a fire pendant. I take it a loop it over my head, _I wonder what it does?_

Hestia must see the question forming on my face and answers before I can ask it.

"If you pull on it, you will be covered in armour. It is light and durable, but not indestructible." She quickly explains. I look down at the pendant in awe. _I can't wait to look at it in a mirror._

I douse myself in water to rejuvenate myself and quickly dry myself off. I throw my new bag over my shoulder and call Midnight back over, who is happily licking her lips.

"I guess I'll see you soon My Lady." I grin, dropping into a deep bow. Much to her displeasure, but she laughs all the same. She pulls me into a tight hug, which feels like it's going to break my spine. She let's go and smiles at me.

"I'll be in contact my Champion." She smiles, before disappearing into a burst of flame. Thankfully, I'm now pretty resistant to fire now.

"Shall we Midnight?" I ask her, looking down at the big black wolf.

 _"_ _Yes, let's go."_ She replies, a little excited.

(2 Weeks Later)

It's been pretty uneventful for the last couple of weeks, we've only run into one small group of monsters. Which we easily dealt with before carrying on.

We're just walking into Salt Lake City when Hestia talk to me for the first time since we finished training.

 _"_ _Percy, I have a request."_ She softly asks. It gives me a little fright but I manage to hide it from Midnight.

 _"_ _Sure, what is it?"_ I reply, quietly waiting for her reply as I walk down the street. Smirking at the odd looks Midnight gets.

 _"_ _There is a Demigod child I would like you to save. She's been abandoned by her father, and I believe her mother is Bellona."_ She informs me. _Who could abandon their kid?_

 _"_ _Of course Hestia, I'll find her and take her to Camp Jupiter with me."_ I quickly respond as she tells me where the child is.

(Line Break)

I've been walking around the edge of Great Salt Lake for about 15 minutes looking for this lost Demigod now.

"Do you smell anything Midnight?" I ask quietly, looking down at her as she sniffs the ground.

 _"_ _I have a faint sent, but it's like it's being blocked from me."_ She replies thoughtfully. _Wonderful._ We carry on walking for a few minutes when I spot a small little shack. Made out of wooden panels and boxes. _That must be it._ I jog over to the shack to check it.

"Stop! Who goes there?" A young female voice calls out threateningly. _Well I wasn't expecting that._ I skid to a halt and reply.

"Um, I'm Percy. I was sent by someone to rescue you." I call back, raising my hands in a show of peace.

"Like I would believe that. You're just here to destroy my home again." She yells angrily, stepping awkwardly out of the small shack. She has long black hair and dull black eyes that stare off towards the lake, she looks to be about 12 and is around 5ft. She holds her hands a little bit out, as if to steady herself. Even though she doesn't seem to be unsteady on her feet. _How odd._

"So what's your name?" I ask calmly, trying to come across as friendly. So snaps her head towards me, but it looks like her eyes aren't focusing on me.

"I'm Jenna. Now what do you want?" She spits. _She must have been through some hard times._ I take a slow step towards her.

"Ok, how about first we talk. You hear me out, and then you can decide if you want to come with me or not. How does that sound?" I offer, taking another step. She seems to think it over for a minute, her unblinking eyes staring at me. _That's a little weird._

"Fine! But you can only come a little closer." She says, sitting down. I walk till I'm about 5 meters away and sit down, with Midnight next to me.

"So tell me, what do you know about the Greek Gods?" I ask the usual start off question.

"Enough to get by I suppose." She shoots back. _Well that's good._

I start to explain the Greek world to her as she sits silently and listens, and she doesn't blink once. In like 10 minutes. _It's really getting to me._

"So that about sums it up Jenna." I finish. Having explained the Gods, both camps and how she might be a Demigod. I look at Midnight, who is staring quite intensely at Jenna.

 _"_ _What is it?"_ I ask Midnight. She doesn't reply for a minute, continuing to stare.

 _"_ _I think that girl is blind."_ She says slowly. _What! How can she survive out here blind? She must have been attacked by monster by now._

"Well, I guess it's plausible. It would explain some things." She starts, scratching her head.

"Like why I keep getting attacked by things." She continues thoughtfully.

"Sorry Jenna I have to ask. Are you blind?" I ask slowly.

"Yea, since birth." She replies casually, waving a hand in front of her eyes, to drive the point home. _Oh my Gods!_

"How have you fended off being attacked?" I ask, the surprise evident in my voice. She grins at me and turns back towards the water.

"I have really great hearing." She answers mysteriously. _I don't know is I should be impressed or terrified._ If a blind girl can fend of monster attacks, what else can she do?

As I'm trying to wrap my head around what she just told me, she stands up and dusts herself off.

"I've decided to believe you Percy. So I will come along with you." She says, before pulling out an imperial gold knife.

"But if you try anything… I'll kill you." She states, with the same serious tone Reyna uses.

"Sounds like a deal to me." I laugh back, getting to my feet. Midnight is a little more hesitant.

 _"_ _She's keeping something from us."_ Midnight warns.

 _"_ _Yea probably. But we can't just leave her here, she will die otherwise."_ I tell her.

She seems to accept my point but stays extra close to me, as we get closer to Jenna.

"I don't really have any stuff. So let's just go." She says, a small happy smile playing on her lips.

 _This trip just gets more and more interesting, doesn't it._

 ** _A/N: Here's another one of my late night chapters. Hope you enjoyed it and you should know the drill by now._**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I** **don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: I also want to say a I very big thank you to you guys for your reviews. You know who you are.**

 **Now, on with the story!**

 **(Percy POV)**

You know, you'd think a blind girl walking through the woods and down city streets would be a massive worry, like all the time. You know, guiding her around obstacles and stopping her from walking into things like trees and people. But she is in fact very shore footed. She takes each step with confidence, stepping over fallen logs and around trees and people with ease. _It's really making me question if she's blind._

We're currently somewhere in the middle of Nevada, _I think,_ walking through the many valleys that seem to populate this state.

 _"_ _Do you see anything?"_ I ask Midnight, for probably the millionth time this trip. She's off running over the nearby hills, keeping an eye out for any monsters or any other threats. _Yea, wild animals are still a threat. Go figure._

We ran into a mountain lion a few days ago, but Midnight scared it off quite easily.

 _"No, we're still clear."_ She replies. She doesn't really should like she's paying much attention.

"So Percy, I've been wondering. Why're we walking all the way to this place? Couldn't we have got a bus or something?" Jenna asks, stepping around a fairly large rock.

"I don't really have a great history with buses. Also, um, I… I never really considered it as an option." I reply, feeling kind of stupid. _Why hadn't it thought of alternate transportation?_ I scratch my head feeling a little guilty.

"You were never the planner of the group where you." She remarks, avoiding a small log. I hesitate taking my next step, only for a second, but for long enough to be noticed. Even by the young blind girl.

"What's wrong?" She asks, slightly turning her head so that one of her ears is pointed towards me.

"I-It's nothing. You just made me think of someone." I reply sadly. She frowns slightly, but continues to walk next to me. We walk in silence for a few minutes before she asks.

"Who was it that I made you think of?" She asks quietly, fiddling with the hem of her scruffy shirt.

"Sh-She was my girlfriend. She was the planner of the team." I manage to choke out, looking at the ground and nearly tripping over a small rock. _So even a blind girl is more coordinated than I am. Great!_

"Was?" She asks, a little sorrowful.

"She died, a little under a year ago." I inform her weakly.

"I'm sorry." She says sadly, and we return to walking in silence.

(Line Break)

Over the next couple of days Jenna and I share a few stories to pass the time. I told her about the war with the Titans and the war with the Giants and Gaia, and all of the life threatening adventures I went on.

She told me about how she about how her father had been great for the first 7 or so years of her life. But when, what she now knows was by monsters, they started getting attacked. Then her father cut ties and threw her out. _What a despicable man! How could he abandon his little girl like that?_ I was so angry, that it took both Jenna and Midnight about an hour to calm me down.

But other than that it's been pretty tedious lately. Get up, walk, eat, walk, eat, make camp and sleep. I never thought I would be wishing for a monster attack to alleviate my boredom on this trip. _Yea I know it's a stupid wish to make._

We've just walked into a forest. Swapping the arduous valleys and mountains, for the slightly less arduous trees and plant life. _I guess we're out of Nevada now._

 _"_ _I smell something!"_ Midnight calls out urgently, reappearing through a bush and walking silently up to me. I stop and hold an arm out to stop Jenna, but she had already stopped walking. _Is she really blind?_

"What is it?" Jenna asks, her hand drifting to her knife.

"Midnight smells something." I whisper, pulling Riptide from my pocket and resting my left hand on Cyclone's hilt. We stand silently for a minute, waiting for something to happen.

"I hear something."

 _"_ _I hear something."_ Jenna and Midnight say in unison, earning a sideways glance from Midnight and myself. _How good is her hearing?_ After waiting for a few more second, I can just about hear the sound of someone walking through the bushes.

"Let's hide until we know what we're dealing with here." I quietly order, earning a nod from Jenna and Midnight. As quietly as I can I dive into some thick bushes that are near by with Midnight, and struggle to stifle a gasp as I look back to see where Jenna is hiding. Only to see here jumping and climbing up one of the trees with cat like grace. _Seriously! Is she really blind?_

But before I can say anything an Empousa comes stomping through the bushes angrily. She's quickly followed by a couple of Cyclops', a couple of Hellhounds and a Hyperborean Giant. _Yes, because we definitely need an ice-breathing idiot to join the party._

"Well, where are they!" The Empousa huffs, looking around where we were standing seconds ago.

"I not know. I told to come here." One of the Cyclops' mumbles out slowly. _Someone told them to come here? That's oddly specific._

"Well you said that there would be a powerful Demigod here. That's the only reason I came along with you idiots." She hisses, stamping her donkey leg angrily. Making the Cyclops flinch a little bit and take a step back. _How did they know we would be coming through here? We didn't even know we were coming through here._

The Hellhounds have been silently sniffing around, completely evading my attention. Until one sticks its head through the bush I'm hiding in and is only about an inch from my face.

"Hey buddy." I say with a smile, before flicking the cap off of Riptide and stabbing the Hellhound through the neck as it extends, making it explode into dust.

"See! I tell you they be here." The Cyclops shouts with glee, swinging its metal club around dangerously. _When did they start using metal clubs?_ I slowly stand up, holding Riptide out to my side. The Empousa smiles in glee, here eyes sparkling a little bit.

"Well hello there handsome. Why don't you come over here." She says, lacing her words heavily with charmspeak. When nothing happens, I smile a little and look at her, feeling the heat rise on my shoulder.

"Yea, that little trick isn't going to work." I grin dangerously, taking a step forward. Horror seems to pass through her eyes as she realises that her most powerful weapon just became useless.

"Well, g-get him!" She stutters out, taking a few steps back. At her command the 3 remaining Hellhounds come bounding towards me. As a streak of black Midnight explodes from the bushes and tackles one of the rhino sized dogs to the ground, snapping at its neck.

I run at one of the others, blocking a swipe of its paw with Riptide and quickly drawing and slashing Cyclone across its face, making it yelp and jump back. I pull water from my water bottle and whip it at the third Hellhound, to keep it back.

"Freeze them you blithering idiot." The Empousa screams at the Hyperborean, who had been staring off into the trees. _Did he see Jenna?_ But he quickly turns our way. _Great, just what I need._

I slowly raise my left hand with Cyclone, preparing to use my fire power. It probably won't hold off the frost for long, but enough to dive out the way. I feel the heat growing from my tattoo and down my arm, and can see it glowing faintly through my shirt.

I quickly whip the water at the Hellhounds to keep them at bay for a few seconds longer. But as the Giant finishes inhaling, it staggers slightly, a look of confusion spreading over its face. I then spot Jenna hanging onto its head, driving her knife into its neck. Her expression is blank as she slowly steps off of the now disintegrating Hyperborean, and gracefully lands with barely a sound. _I'm convinced. She's not blind._

The Empousa scrambles away from the small girl, her fear growing. I turn my attention back to the Hellhounds and shoot a small plume of fire at the Hound I slashed, effectively slowly melting its face. Making it fall to the ground pawing at its face with a high pitched wail as it slowly dies, while I wrap my water around Hellhound number 3s neck and constrict. It tries to pull out of my watery grip, but with a flick of my right hand I tighten the grip and pull its head clean off.

 _Well I can't drink from this anymore._ As I look at the golden specks floating in the water.

I turn to the two Cyclops' who aren't really looking as fazed as I would like, but they are stupid monsters, maybe they just don't understand the danger. The Empousa on the other hand looks horrified, looking from where the small pack of Hellhounds used to be and the pile of golden dust where the Hyperborean used to be.

Jenna and Midnight make their way to my sides, Jenna taking up a defensive stance and Midnight crouched low and ready to pounce, a thundering growl brewing in her throat.

"Are you sure you want to continue this?" I challenge, looking between the last 3 monsters. The Empousa doesn't hesitate and bolts as fast as her mismatched legs will carry her.

 _"_ _Midnight, get her."_ I say mentally, not taking my eyes off the exceedingly calm Cyclops' as she takes off after the bronze-legged donkey lady.

"Jenna stay back for a bit, wait for my go." I command, walking towards the hulking beasts. The two eyes follow me with interest. _Something seems off with these two._ The Cyclops that did the talking shudders and twitches for a second, its eye going black.

"This body feels disgusting." The Cyclops grumbles to itself, looking at its odd limbs with disgust. _Well that's new._ The Cyclops looks up at me and gives me a toothy grin.

"Ah, Perseus Jackson. How nice it is to meet you, even in the degrading form." The Cyclops greets, its ugly grin growing further. _I'm getting a horrible feeling about this._

"The pleasure is all mine you overgrown troll." Sarcasm dripping from my words. The other Cyclops is smiling now, looking between Jenna and me as if trying to decide whom to eat first.

"Now, now boy. No need to be insulting, I just cam for a quick chat." Its voice low and powerful. _Oh, someone has possessed it._ Feeling kind of stupid at my own discovery, as it took me a little too long to realise.

I hear a high pitched shriek off in the distance and smile. _Midnight's finished her job._

"Ok, you want to chat. What do you want to say?" I stall, waiting for Midnight to make her way back to us. The Cyclops smiles, seemingly happy that I am going to listen to what he has to say.

"See, I knew you were a reasonable young man." The Cyclops exclaims loudly, hurting my ears a little. But I hear Jenna softly moan in pain. _She really must have sensitive hearing._

"I came to make you an offer. And offer to join my mighty army, to lead that army to glory against Olympus and to destroy the Gods." The Cyclops offers. Raising its arms towards the sky as it goes along.

"We will bring a new age of darkness and rule the world." The Cyclops finishes, looking elated.

"I have just one small question. I say, taking the last few steps and now standing right in front of the Cyclops and willing my water back into my bottle. _Oh Gods it smells like rotting fish._

"What may that be young one?" The possessed Cyclops asks, looking down in interest. I smile at the Cyclops and take a slow breath, drawing this out as long as I can.

"Where the fuck is your off switch!" I shout, stabbing both of my swords into its stomach. But instead of screaming in pain and falling to the ground whilst it dissolves into dust like I think it will. It instead spurts and sprays the same black blood that the Dracanaes had the other night. _Well, I definitely didn't expect this shit today._

The Cyclops howls with laughter as it continues to look down at me.

"Puny boy, my minions are not so easy to kill." The Cyclops proclaims, quickly grabbing both of my wrists. _This is just going from good, to fucking brilliant isn't it._

"Jenna, get away. These aren't like normal monsters, they're stronger and exceptionally harder to kill." I call over my shoulder, whilst super heating my hand. The Cyclops quickly lets go, after it smells its own hand burning. Giving me the opportunity to jump back and put some distance between us, _Good._ But this also gives the other Cyclops to charge at me, _Bad._

The second Cyclops comes barrelling towards me, swinging its club back and forth in front of it. _Wonderful._ I duck under the flailing club and slash at the Cyclops leg, expecting it to have black blood as well. What I don't expect is for it to collapse and scream in pain. _So only one of them is weird today. I can work with those odds._

I feel Midnight come bounding back over to us and smile.

"You two, take this one. I'll deal with the chatter box." I call out to them, sprinting past the struggling Cyclops and heading for the still smirking puppet, whose stab wounds have now healed up.

The Cyclops swings its metal club at me with surprising speed. I just about manage to block the strike by making an X with my swords, but it does still manage to drive me to my knees. I roll out of the way of the Cyclops big hand as it tries to grab me and quickly slash at the back of its hand, covering me in the disgusting black liquid again when it erupts from the wound.

I roll to my feet and take a few quick paces back, to get some breathing room. But whoever has possessed this Cyclops, is really pushing the boundaries of what a Cyclops can do and closes the distance between us in an instant. _Great!_

I dive out of the way of another swing and spin in the air, opening a few new deep cuts in the Cyclops side. Which inadvertently drenches me in the foul dark liquid.

 _"_ _Percy are you ok?"_ Midnight asks, sounding a little worried. But I don't dare to look away from the Cyclops.

 _"_ _Yep, its bloody peachy over here."_ I reply sarcastically, narrowly avoiding a jab.

 _"_ _But stay back, this one isn't like the other monsters. It's being controlled by someone and has received some weird power."_ I tell her as I quickly jab Riptide into its for arm, making the Cyclops drop its club.

"Come now Percy, we really don't need to fight. Join me." The Cyclops says, so casually you wouldn't think that we were fighting. I duck under a swipe from its hand and run at a tree.

"Not today ass hat." I say, jumping up the tree and running a few steps further up and then springing towards the Cyclops. I quickly sheath Cyclone and ignite my left arm and shoulder. I grab the Cyclops face in my now fiery left hand and urge the flames to move to my palm, burning the Cyclops face.

The smell of charred flesh fills my nostrils as the Cyclops starts to scream. I then drive Riptide through the side of its head, causing more of the black sludge to spray on me, _this sucks!_ I quickly jump off of the Cyclops as it starts to melt.

"You are going to regret this day boy." The Cyclops yells.

"A tip for the future, don't try and kill the guy you're trying to recruit you fuckwit." I hiss back, turning and walking back towards Jenna and Midnight.

 **(Chiron POV)**

I'm sitting on the porch in my wheelchair, when a misty screen appears to my left and reveals an image of a very rugged and tired Percy.

"Percy my boy, you look horrible." I exclaim, leaning forward in my chair. He just grins that lopsided grin and pushes a hand through his long black hair.

"Yea, had a rough day. Ran into some interesting monsters, but it's all good, we're nearly at Camp Jupiter now." He replies with an up beat tone. _He looks like he's doing a lot better now._ I give him a warm smile and lean back in my chair.

"So how's Jason doing at Camp?" He asks, pouring some water over his head.

"He's fitting in very well. I think Katie has all but adopted him as her little brother, he is making fast friends and he is actually a very powerful son of Demeter." I inform him, watching his smile grow.

"That's good to hear." He says happily. _Oh yes, I must ask about Midnight._

"I hear you've found yourself a new companion in the form of a wolf." I say, waiting for him to explain. He just smiles shyly and calls for her. A giant black wolf come loping over to him and licks his face before looking into the watery screen. _Oh my Gods, that is one of Artemis' wolves!_

"Percy! T-that's one of Artemis' wolves, how did you come by it." I ask in disbelief. Percy just looks down at the wolf lovingly and rests his head against hers for a second.

"Well it's kind of an interesting story and I don't really have enough time to tell it." Percy says, looking around for a second.

"Anyway, the last thing I want to tell you is that I have found a new Demigod. She's Roman and a daughter of Bellona I think." He starts, I just nod for him to continue. _It's good he found another one._

"Well the thing is… She's blind. But she can still fight and stuff, and doesn't really trip over anything." He adds as a small girl walks into frame carrying a small pile of sticks.

"I just wanted to ask if you've ever seen anything like this before." He asks quietly. _A blind Demigod, not in all my years have I seen one. How did she survive?_ I keep the shook off of my face as I reply. _That is a remarkable feat for a lone child_ _._

"I don't believe I have Percy, but I am sure that Reyna will be happy to have a new sister." I return with a smile. He just shrugs his shoulders and smile.

"Yea I didn't think so, just thought I would check. And yea, I bet she'll be shocked and happy." He says. He turns for a second and seems to answer a question that the girl has asked.

"Anyway, that's about it. We'll be getting to Camp Jupiter in the next few days. I'll call you when I get there and settle in, Bye Chiron" He finishes.

"Goodbye my boy." I quickly reply before he swipes his hand through the image.

 _A wolf of Artemis? That boy never ceases to amaze me._ I smile at myself and look out over Camp. Campers are running around happily, going between their activities without a worry. _I hope they are ready when the next war comes by. For I feel it will be by far the worst one yet._ I wipe a lone tear off of my cheek and steel myself as I climb out of my wheelchair and head towards the archery range for my next lesson. _All I can do is prepare them for when the war comes._

 _Did Percy's eyes look a little odd?_

 ** _A/N: Here's the next one, and I managed to get it done 2 hours earlier than usual. I hope you like it. You know the drill_**

 ** _Also I'm looking for a new game to play on my Xbox. So if any of you have a suggestion, swing it my way._**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

It has been a long, long walk to California. But not as dangerous as I thought it would be thankfully, and we're finally walking up the road towards the Caldecott tunnel and in turn the entrance into Camp Jupiter.

"Are we nearly there?" Jenna whines, dragging his feet a little bit. _She must be exhausted, I doubt she's ever done anything like this before._ I look back at her and give her an encouraging smile. _Not that she can see it._

"Yea, it's just up the road a little bit." I reply, feeling incredibly tired myself. She huffs a little indignantly, crossing her arms. I look down at Midnight, the only one of the group who is still happily trotting along with buckets of energy.

 _"_ _How're you not tired?"_ I ask her, a little bit jealous of the she wolf.

 _"_ _In the Hunt we would have completed this journey in about a week. So this hasn't really been that hard on me."_ She informs me, looking up from the road for a second and giving me a little wink. _Well it's lucky for some isn't it._

 _"_ _I feel like that's cheating somehow."_ I say, joking a little as I grin down at her.

 _No I just had 2000 years to work on my cardio. Something, it seems, you desperately need to work on."_ She returns, her gentle laugh filling my head. I can't help but laugh with her, probably making my look like a bit of a nut case.

"What's so funny?" Jenna questions, looking a little angry. _Does she think that we're talking about her?_

"Oh its just Midnight bullying me." I tell her, a small snigger escaping me. I'm sure if she could glare at me right now, she would. Instead she grumpily mutters something to herself, kicking a small rock. _I still don't get how she can be so precise with these kinds of things._

We round a corner and I can finally see the service tunnel that leads into Camp Jupiter, the biggest give away being the two Roman Legionaries standing just inside the entrance. _Well let's see how this goes._

The two guards only take notice of us as it becomes obvious that we are walking right towards them.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One of them calls out. I stop and raise my hands in peace, looking at the guard that had called out. He's about 6ft tall and build like a brick wall, with beady brown eyes glaring at me from under his helmet.

"Salve Romanorum!" I call out, making them hesitate for a second. _Bet you didn't think I could speak Latin._ The large Roman seems a bit lost for words, so the other guard steps forward, revealing a much smaller guy with bright green eyes.

"Salve! But please answer the question." He calls out, his voice calm and level. I slowly pull up the right sleeve on my hoodie revealing my Legion tattoo, and hold it out to them.

"I'm Percy Jackson, ex-Praetor of the 12th Legion Fulminata and Son of Neptune. Consul Reyna is expecting me." I inform them calmly, trying to appear as unthreatening as I can. The smaller guards eyes go wide, a spark of recognition flashing across his eyes. But the brick wall cuts him off before he can say anything.

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" The larger guard demands. I narrow my eyes a little bit and look down at my Legion tattoo and back to him. _Is he an idiot?_

"Can't you see my tattoo steroid Stan?" I shoot at him sarcastically, earning a small laugh from Jenna. His eyes seem to instantly go bloodshot as he glares death at me. _I bet he's a son of Mars._

 _"_ _Midnight, no matter what happens, don't interfere."_ I tell her. I can feel discomfort and annoyance building at the edge of my mind. _Why does this keep happening?_ I shake the feeling from my head.

 _"_ _Fine."_ She mumbles, sitting down.

"My name's not Stan. It's Rickon." The now named Rickon growls, pulling out his golden gladius. _That's what he's taking from this?_ The smaller guard steps in front of Rickon, placing his hand on his wrist whilst he whispers something to him, making Rickon grind hid teeth in frustration. But he sheathes his gladius and storms off into the tunnel muttering angrily.

"I'm sorry about Rick. He's a bit of a hot head, it comes from Mars." The smaller guard apologises, nodding his head respectfully. _Called it!_

"It's fine, no harm done. Sorry I didn't catch your name?" I kindly tell him, offering my hand. He happily takes it and shakes.

"I'm James, son of Venus, Legionnaire of the 2nd Cohort." He informs me professionally. He lets go of my hand and takes a step back.

"Thanks for diffusing the situation just now, what did you whisper to him?" I ask him. He gives me a sly grin and looks around quickly.

"I told him that I would tell the girl he's crushing on that he likes her if he didn't go and get the Consul." He tells me, his grin growing. _Yep, children of Aphrodite and Venus don't change very much._

"Who are your two companions? Just to make the whole process of getting in easier." He asks, indicating to Jenna and Midnight.

"Oh, this is Jenna." I say, turning to the small girl who had remained silent the whole time, as she nervously fingers the hem of her top. _Is something bothering her?_

"And this is Midnight. My, um, wolf." I finish a little nervously, turning to her.

 _"_ _I thought we were partners."_ She says, a small twitch at the edge of her mouth. _Is she trying to smile?_ I smile down at her a give her a quick pat on the head. I look at James whose eyes are bulging out of his face. _Why does everyone react that way?_ I give him a minute to recover.

"Why're we waiting here? I thought you were some big shot here." Jenna whispers to me, so that James doesn't hear. But there's an undertone to her words that I can't quite place. _Something's wrong, I'll ask her later._

"We're just waiting for them to verify who I am." I quickly whisper back, as the small screen of an Iris message shimmers into view and reveals Reyna. Looking as regal as ever, in her purple toga and glistening cloak. _Seriously why does it sparkle in the light?_

"James, please can you escort Jackson to my office." Reyna orders, before swiping her hand through the image. _As formal as ever._ I spot Jenna looking a bit confused turning her head from side to side, to try and find the talker. _She's still not used to Iris messages._

"I guess you can come in, if you would follow me." James says, walking into the tunnel.

(Line Break)

We follow James through the tunnel, the tiredness of the journey keeping conversation to the minimum. In just under a minute we are through the tunnel and Camp Jupiter in all its splendour comes into view. _I can't believe how much I've missed this place._ I follow James down the path toward the Little Tiber, breathing in the fresh air.

 _"_ _It's changed a lot since I last came here."_ Midnight says quietly, looking over the Camp. _When was the last time she came here?_ We cross the bridge and enter the Principia, wandering Legionnaires stopping to look at us, whispering among themselves. I spot a few familiar faces from my time here, but we carry on past the baths and the barracks and go through the Praetorian Gate. Heading down the bath to New Rome.

I glance back at Jenna who is looking a little panicked, her hands gripping her shirt tight. I slow down so that I am walking next her.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask her quietly, so that James doesn't hear me. She turns her blank eyes towards me, her face a bit pale and it looks like she's trying to make herself as small as possible, but at the same time she looks ready to bolt at a moments notice. _Is she scared?_

"I-It's n-nothing." She stutters a little, her voice shrill. I stop and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Jenna, listen to me. You're safe here and I promise I won't let anything happen to you." I say, trying to be as reassuring as possible. She gives me a slow shaky nod but stays close to my side as we make our way up to the Pomerian Line and Terminus. _I think I've missed the old statue. I wonder if he's missed me?_

"Ah, Percy Jackson, back again? To think I would be letting a Greek into my wondrous city, you better not attack my city again. Or use me as a weapon." Terminus rants, making me role my eyes a little bit. _Yea, I don't think he missed me._

"Hello Terminus old pal, how's the new body?" I ask jovially, beginning to unstrap Cyclone from the back of my waist.

"It is adequate, do not break this one." He replies, his voice pleading a little.

"I didn't break the last one." I return defensively, giving Cyclone, Riptide and my backpack to the little girl standing next to Terminus.

"Jenna, you're going to have to hand over your knife. Otherwise we won't be aloud in." I explain softly, watching her hand tighten around its hilt.

"Why? I'm not going to attack anyone with it." She replies a little panicked, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. _What's gotten into her?_ I softly touch her shoulder, making her flinch slightly and tense up. I heat my hand up slightly to try and sooth her and after a couple of seconds she relaxes a little.

"It's just a rule everyone has to follow, you'll get it back later I promise." I say, putting as much reassurance as I can into my words. Ever so slowly she pulls her knife out and hands it to the small girl with my stuff.

"You may enter!" Terminus calls out, making Jenna flinch again. I give her a light squeeze on the shoulder before walking into New Rome; she quickly crosses her arms and follows me.

New Rome is as beautiful as I remember, the white marble buildings with red tiled roofs all standing proud and gleaming. I spot the domed roof of the Senate house, the Circus Maximus and the Coliseum. As well as all the houses and shops. _I guess the plan was always to come and live here. I just won't be able to do it with the person I thought I would._ I shake my head, feeling sadness building in my chest.

I turn to Midnight, who has jogged off a little way and is sniffing at the entrance to a bakery. Managing to scare the owner halfway to Hades, or Pluto I guess. I give the owner an apologetic smile as I walk past, Midnight having already moved on to the next interesting smell. I give Jenna a quick glance to see that she is still in the same state, but she's now walking a little stiffly. _I'll have to keep an eye on her._

My eyes wander as we walk through the populated streets, watching the families happily walk around and go about their business. With a few curious children pointing us out to their parents and asking questions.

James leads us right up to one of the biggest houses I've seen in New Rome. _Didn't she say office? I guess being Consul really comes with some perks._

"I'll be leaving you here. Good luck in there." James says kindly, giving a quick bow before walking away. I'm surprised that we didn't pass roid Rick on the way. I walk up to the door and knock, turning back to the others. Midnight is now sitting patiently, looking around with interest. Jenna seems to have relaxed a little bit, but still looks a little frantic and panicked.

We wait a couple of seconds, before I can hear the soft footfalls of someone coming to the door. When Rickon opens the door, it's fair to say that I'm a little surprised. He gives me a withering glare, before indicating for us to follow him inside. I let Midnight and Jenna walk in before me and close the door behind me. _I wonder why Rickon is still here._

We silently follow him through Reyna's house, which feels and looks surprisingly homely. _Reyna didn't strike me as the homely type. I like it._ Rickon walks up to a door and nocks a couple of time.

Receiving a quiet 'come in' he opens the door, revealing a tired looking Reyna sitting behind her desk, filing through some papers.

"Thank you Rickon, you can go." Reyna says, not looking up from her papers. Rickon shoots me another glare, which I return with a brazen grin, and he walks out of the office and hopefully out of the house.

"Please have a seat, I'm just about finished with this." Reyna says, quickly flicking through her papers. Jenna and I gladly accept her offer and collapse into two chairs opposite Reyna, while Midnight took to sitting on the floor by my side. _I wonder where Aurum and Argentum are?_ My question is quickly answered when a golden dog head appears from behind her desk.

 _"_ _The Hades is that!"_ Midnight cries out, leaning back slightly.

 _"_ _That's Aurum, a dog automation. There should be a silver one around which is called Argentum, Reyna uses them to tell if people are lying."_ I explain to the perplexed looking wolf, with a slight smile.

Jenna seems to have relaxed a hundredfold, basically melting into the chair. _Does she feel uneasy around a lot of people?_

"Sorry. It's been busy since I became Consul, helping to choose new Praetors, and dealing with the senate was easy. But the Lares were up in arms about my promotion, but Mars convinced them easily enough." Reyna recalls, looking more thankful than anything else.

"Yea, that sounds stressful. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that." I say, a smile playing at the edge of my lips. She gives me a cold look before looking at Jenna appraisingly.

"So I assume by now you know who I am, but what is your name?" Reyna asks kindly. It takes Jenna a second to realise that Reyna is talking to her, she sits up straighter and looks in Reyna's direction.

"I'm Jenna Armstrong." Jenna tells Reyna, her voice having returned to normal, _I can't believe I didn't know her_ _surname_. Reyna looks like she expects her to continue, but when she realises that's all she getting she presses on.

"It's nice to meet you Jenna, and who would your parent be?" Reyna asks, leaning forward slightly. _This should be interesting._

"I'm not certain, but Percy thinks that it might be Bellona." She says quietly, her hands fidgeting slightly. Reyna's eyes widen for a second, the shock evident. But she quickly controls herself and looks at me questioningly.

"It was a, um, gut feeling I suppose." I reply to the unasked question vaguely. _I can't tell her I'm the Champion of Hestia yet. Not until I make a sanctuary._

"I see, and would you like to join the Legion?" Reyna inquires, looking back at Jenna. Jenna tenses up at the question and grips the edge of her top tightly, making her knuckles go white.

"I… I don't t-think I can." She manages to stutter out. Reyna raises an eyebrow at me, but I just shrug my shoulder.

"That's an interesting way to answer the question. Why do you think that?" Reyna ask, her voice smooth and soothing. Jenna takes a deep breath and lets go of her top.

"Percy I wasn't exactly truthful with you when I told you my dad threw me out, and that I was blind at birth." She starts slowly, struggling to keep her voice level. _I figured as much, but what could have happened._

"My dad was in with some bad people and he owed them a lot of money." _Oh Gods! He didn't._

"Then one day when they came to collect some of the debt, they spotted me. They said that if he gave me to them, that I would cover the debt." She said quietly. Midnight pads over to her and rests her head on Jenna's lap, who strokes her with a small smile.

 _"_ _I feel awful for doubting her."_ Midnight whispers into my head, her large silver eyes eyeing me apologetically.

"Jenna you don't have to go on if it's too hard." I say, looking at Reyna who is nodding in agreement.

"No, I have to tell someone." Jenna says, a small amount of confidence packed into her words.

"So from when I was 7 until I was 11, I was this gangs slave. For 4 long years they tortured me, made me do chores and … and…" She begins to tear up as she tries to finish. I quickly slide off my chair and pull her into a hug, trying to sooth the small girl as she cries into my shoulder.

"It's ok, why don't you tell us how you got away." I offer, as she quietly sobs. She slowly nods and pulls out of my hug.

"Well, on my 11th birthday after they had a special celebration for me, that's when I went blind. One of them must have forgotten to lock the cage I lived in properly, and while they were in a drunken stupor I managed to escape." She finished, her voice wobbling slightly. Reyna looked a little surprised to find out she's blind.

I can feel my anger growing at what she just told me. _How can a man sell off his 7 year old daughter? And how can a group of men abuse and blind a little girl?_ I can feel the heat rising in my shoulder and a slight tugging in my stomach.

"Percy!" Reyna's voice cuts through my thoughts like a knife. My anger immediately diffuses as I notice her staring at my shoulder. _I guess the cats out the bag now._

"Reyna, we can talk about this later. We need to decide what to do with Jenna." I say, indicating to my glowing shoulder. She narrows her eyes at me but nods.

"So, I'm assuming that you don't want to join the Legion because of all the men. But I have to ask, why did you trust Percy?" Reyna asks. _That's a great point, she didn't seem fazed by me in the slightest._ I turn to Jenna and wait for her reply. She furrows her brow thoughtfully as she thinks of her answer.

"I don't really know. But being blind, I see things a bit differently and the aura that Percy gives off is so warm and comforting. It just made me want to trust him." She replies slowly. Reyna nods and turns back to me.

"Well I guess that leaves the Hunt. But I'm not sure how Lady Diana would feel about a blind hunter." Reyna says, leaning back in her chair.

 _"_ _Artemis wouldn't mind, as long as she doesn't hurt herself."_ Midnight informs me, she's definitely skilled enough. _I could give Thalia a call and ask her to drop by._

"I could give Thalia a call, see if she can drop by and have a chat with Jenna." I offer, reaching into my pocket for a Drachma.

"Um, what's the Hunt?" Jenna asks quietly. _I guess I forgot to tell her about them._

"They are a group of girls with… let's say issues, with the male gender. Girls who have similar stories to you, and Artemis takes them into her Hunt." I explain to her, giving her the short version. I stand up and turn back to Reyna.

"That sounds like it might be better." Jenna says quietly, pushing her hands through Midnights soft fur.

"I'm gonna make the call in the hall. Give me a minute." I say, walking to the door. Neither says anything to me but I guess they don't really need to reply to that. I step through the door and quietly close it behind me. I will the water vapour in the air into a mist and thankfully Reyna's lights are enough to just make a rainbow, because using water vapour for stuff is really strenuous and I don't want to have to repeat the process somewhere else.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Thalia, in the Hunt." I say, throwing the Drachma into the small rainbow. I wait for a second as the connection is made. As I'm standing around and waiting for the connection to be made, I'm sure I spot a shadow flicker down the hall. _The Hades is that?_ But as I'm about to investigate, Thalia comes into view.

"Percy? What do you want? You can't just call me when you feel like it, I'm busy you know." Thalia rants a little, an angry frown forming on her face.

"Well I was going to tell you about a little abused girl that you might want to have a chat with. But if you're too busy, I guess she'll just have to stay at Camp Jupiter." I grin, Thalia's face goes to anger and then resigned defeat.

"Ok, I'll ask Artemis if we could drop by to have a chat with her." Thalia sighs, running off somewhere. _I guess I'll wait here then._ Out of the corner of my eye I see a flicker of movement. I spin to look down the hall again, but I don't see anything. _Is someone in the house?_ Willing the watery screen to follow me I sneak down the hall and peak through one of the doors and see a very modern kitchen. _Huh, I expected something more rustic._

But the room is empty, turns out the dinning room is empty as well. As all that separates them is long breakfast bar. I continue down the hall as quietly as I can and as I'm reaching for the door to what I suppose is the living room, Thalia's voice explodes through the Iris message.

"Percy! Artemis said that we could drop in next week, as it is the next time we will be near Camp Jupiter." She informs me, a smile playing on her lips. _She gonna hit me when she gets here. I'd put money on it._

"Great, I'll tell the others." I return, she nods and swipes her hand through the image. I look at the door for a second longer and make my way back to Reyna's office. _I must have imagined it._

I step in and catch the tail end of their conversation. Something about fighting and being blind, I may have heard Bellona, but I'm not sure.

"Thalia said that they'd drop in next week." I inform them, retaking my seat. Excitement builds in my mind, I look down at Midnight whose tail is wagging happily. _Wait! Am I receiving her emotions?_ But Reyna cuts me off before I can question the wolf.

"Well that's Jenna's situation somewhat dealt with. Percy, I'd like you to do some explaining of your own." Reyna kindly demands.

 _Yea, I saw that coming a mile off._

 _ **A/N: Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual, I had a long day at work yesterday. Yea I work the occasional Saturday, life sucks. But here's the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.**_

 _ **Also if anyone was wondering it's been about 12 months since the start of the story, leaving 3 years till the war could start. And if my math is right, Sally should be about 8 months pregnant.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Reyna POV)**

"Well that's Jenna's situation somewhat dealt with. Percy, I'd like you to do some explaining of your own." I demand kindly, watching the black haired boy squirm a little under my gaze. _For such an impressive hero, he sure does scare easy._

It takes him a minute to resign himself to explaining everything and he turns his sea green and crimson eyes to me. _Since when did his eyes have a crimson ring around the edge? And why do they look so broken?_ While the sea green seem to roll and crash like the ocean, the crimson ring looks like a raging inferno. _What happened to him?_

Percy lets out a deep sigh before he starts to tell his story, it's fair to say that I'm horrified and by the end I can't help but feel sorry for the now immortal boy. He lost the love of his life and spiralled into a depression, then left the only other place he's called home because it reminded him too much of her.

It seems that this is the first time that Jenna has heard the story as well, as she looks about as sorry for him as I feel. While Midnight just lets out a sad whine. _He must have already told the wolf._

"Percy, I'm so sorry." I say, sympathy flooding my words. He just nods his head sadly, visibly trying to hold his emotions in. But he is obviously leaving something out, _like why his shoulder was glowing and why his eyes now have a crimson ring._

"But what're you leaving out?" I ask, closely watching the young immortal. Keeping Aurum in the corner of my eye, so that I can see if he is lying.

"Nothing, I told you everything." He tries, but a low growl from Aurum stops him in his tracks. He mutters angrily to himself before standing up and walking over to the wall.

"I need you to swear on the Styx not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, that goes for you to Jenna." He says, turning towards Jenna who looks a little shocked. _This seems more serious than I thought it was._ We both quickly swear the oath and Percy doesn't seem to breathe until he hears the clap of thunder. He slowly raises his left hand up to the empty beige wall of my office, his shoulder starting to glow orange.

"I'm sorry about the wall." He whispers. _Why's he sorry?_ But before I can ask him what he means his hand ignites with a soft flame. _Since when could he control fire! And what is he doing to my wall?!_

Slowly the image of the Hearth begins to burn into the wall, but somehow the rest of the wall doesn't go up in flames.

It takes about a minute for him burn the hearth into the wall. It's about a foot tall and wide and beautifully drawn. No smoke, no unnecessary burns and no ash. It's like it was painted on. Percy smiles at his work and then sits back down.

"Sorry about that, I just don't want anyone else listening in on this conversation." He explains. But I really don't mind, the image is beautiful. _He's quite the artist._

"It's fine. But why did you have to do that?" I ask, turning back to him. I recoil slightly at his intense gaze, which looks like the ocean and an inferno are battling it out.

"I'm the Champion of Hestia, or Vesta if you prefer. As you've seen it's changed me in a couple of ways. Most noticeable is my eyes now have a crimson ring, the other less noticeable thing is that my shoulder is covered in a tattoo which burns orange when I use he powers as a Champion." He reveals. It takes me a few seconds to process what he just said. _A Champion of a God!_ I slowly feel my face contort in wonder.

"H-how a-are you a Champion? What does that mean?" I manage to ask through my shock. He scratches he head nervously and pulls out his lopsided grin.

"Well to put it really simply, Hestia has chosen me to be her first Champion. So she has given me her blessing, which in turn has given me some of her powers and in return I complete tasks she deems important. Like finding Jenna." He expands, smiling shyly as he glances at the small girl. _Why's he being so shy about getting new powers? Everyone else would be on a power high at the moment._ _But I guess that's what makes him different from most Demigods._ He's modest and I've never seen him act arrogantly, as well as being kind and caring to just about everyone else he meets.

"So what new powers did you get? And why did you brand my wall?" I question him, trying keep a small smile from appearing on my lips.

"Well obviously I have fire powers and I also have the ability to summon home cooked food." He starts, then he leans in and lowers his voice to a whisper.

"I also have the ability to provide sanctuary protection and prohibition, and I am immune to those with amokinesis. Which means that anywhere I leave that mark is protected from the Gods and anything I forbid, such as violence, can't happen inside." He finishes quietly, looking at the roof nervously. _Does he have such little faith in his new powers?_ I wait for a second, to see if he has anything to add and when he doesn't I lean further back into my chair and close my eyes, trying to process everything I've just found out.

I have a new sibling, who is in fact blind and was tortured for 4 years. But will more than likely leave and joining the Hunters. Percy has been made the 1st Champion of Vesta and has earned some remarkable abilities. Even for our world it's hard to really believe it all.

 _What's he going to do now that he's here? Is he going to rejoin the Legion? Live peacefully in New Rome? Or has he got some other purpose now?_

I slowly open my eyes and look at him. His long black hair hanging around his shoulders, his now multi-coloured eyes looking at Midnight lovingly, causing a small pain in my chest. _The Pluto is that?_

I shake the feeling off and carry on looking at him. He's grown a few inches taller, and he's got a bit broader. But he sure looks beat up, his clothes are basically rags and he looks like he hasn't slept properly in days.

"So what're you going to do now that you've got to New Rome?" I inquire. He opens his mouth to reply but stops himself, and furrows his brow thoughtfully. _He hasn't thought about it has he._

"I actually don't know. I haven't given it any real thought." He replies, still looking thoughtful. I can't help but laugh at him and I hear Jenna quickly join in. _He just goes wherever the wind blows him doesn't he?_ He looks between Jenna and me before he joins in, finally realising that he must have sounded a bit stupid.

"You still need to work on your planning ability." Jenna manages between laughing. This just makes us all laugh harder at him.

After a minute we all calm down and I take a deep breath to even out my breathing. I look at the clock on my desk and it shocks me to se that it's already 6pm. _When did they arrive again?_ _It's probably too late to get them set up anywhere now and the barracks is a bit of an effort at this time._

"Why don't you two stay here for the night?" I offer before I really process what I'm saying. I receive two reactions from the pair, Jenna looks happy to have somewhere to stay that actually has a roof. While Percy grins a little and raises an eyebrow, probably making some kind of remark in his head.

I shoot him a quick glare, making him pale slightly.

"If it's ok with you, then I will gladly accept, oh mighty Consul." Percy replies, his grin returning slightly. I just shake my head at him and stand up.

"Well Jenna, there is a guest room upstairs that you can use." I start walking around to the girl, who looks like she might cry with relief. Percy stands and looks a little happy at the concept of a bed.

"And Percy… You can have the couch in the living room." His face drops a little as I finish. _Haha, that's what you get for being a sarcastic little shit._

"Why do I get the couch?" He huffs, reminding me of a toddle whose about to throw a tantrum.

"Well I only have one guest room, and it's not like I'm going say you can have my bed." I explain to him. His grin grows once again as he looks at me.

"You sure there's not an offer hidden in there?" He grins at me, raising his eyebrows at me. I can feel my eyes widen, the heat rise in my face and my heart speed up a little. He grins at me for a second longer, his eyes dancing in the light. Before he laughs to himself.

"Sorry, that was a joke." He states before heading for the door. I force myself to calm down and turn to Jenna who has a small grin on her face.

"What?" I ask her.

"Oh its nothing." She replies with a grin, as she gets up and follows Percy into the hall.

 _I get the feeling these two are going to be trouble._

 **(Percy POV)**

After telling Reyna everything, I actually feel a lot better. I hope it falls within the absolutely necessary pact that Hestia made me swear, but as I haven't died a horrific death yet, _I think I'm good_. I hadn't even told Jenna everything yet, and I had been travelling with her for like a month.

But she took everything quite well it seems, _which is an up._ After are meeting we had some dinner, courtesy of yours truly. We had some pasta with some kind of sauce, Reyna named it, I just made it appear. I also summoned a steak for Midnight, who devoured it in seconds.

We talked about how Camp Jupiter's preparations had been going for the war, which I then had to explain to Jenna. _She really chose hell of a time to come into our world._ Reyna told me that Dakota had been made Praetor, along with a girl called Alice. Who was the Centurion from the Third Cohort. I'm glad that my old friend managed to get a promotion. _I wonder if it will help with his Kool-Aid addiction._

(Line Break)

I'm helping Reyna clean up as Jenna pulled the blind card. _Like it's stopped her doing anything before._ But she really just wanted to go and take a shower. _Can't blame her._

Reyna had changed into a pair of comfortable looking tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt before dinner. _I've never seen her in something so casual._ It kind of freaked me out for a second.

"So what does a Consul really do?" I ask her, as I pass her a plate and she puts it in the dishwasher.

"Well, I guess at the moment it's mainly been admin and legislative kind of stuff. But I guess when the war starts, I'll be the command above the Praetors. Although, I do have a lot more freedom in what I can do and where I can go." She explains, holding her hand out for the next plate. I hand one to her and think over her answer. _Sounds kind of lonely._

"That sounds like a lot of work for one person." I say, rinsing the last plate.

"Well they do usually elect two Consuls. But I guess since my progression to the rank was a bit irregular, no one is really jumping to elect another." She says, as I pass the last plate. I lean against the kitchen surface and look at her. Her stoic expression hasn't dropped much since our meeting earlier, she always seems so reserved. _Is she afraid of appearing weak to people by showing emotions?_

I feel a little sorry for her if that's the way she thinks. She actually has a really pretty smile, and looks kind of cute when you surprise her with something. _Like suggesting sharing her bed for example._

"So do you think they will elect another Consul before the war starts?" I ask her, as she turns on the washing machine. She stands up and stretches her back out, whilst looking a little thoughtful.

"They might. But I don't know who they would choose, both Praetors have only just started their new jobs. It wouldn't be the best idea to change one out just before the fighting starts." She replies, turning to me. Her black eyes somehow gleaming in the light.

Jenna comes shuffling sleepily into the kitchen, wearing some pyjamas that are about 3 sizes too big for her. Which makes her look kind of funny, but she looks extremely happy with herself. _Well her shower must have been great._

"I guess it's my turn to shower." I say, walking out of the kitchen. Only to walk straight back into the kitchen.

"Where's the shower?" I ask, a little embarrassed. Making Reyna grin at me. While Jenna just slumps into one of the chairs at the breakfast bar.

"Up the stairs, second door on the left. There are spare towels in the cupboard next to the shower." She tells me, walking over to the sleepy Jenna. I shoot her a quick thank you and make my way up to the shower.

Gods alive the shower feels great. I haven't had a proper shower in ages and I can just feel all my aches and pains just flow away with the water.

As I step out of the shower, I spot two sets of clothes next to my old, basically destroyed clothes. _Who put them there? I didn't hear anyone come in._

 _"_ _Well I can't have you sleeping in dirty clothes, in such a clean house."_ Hestia's voice suddenly pops into my head. I smile as I pick up the pile that looks like pyjamas, with blue shorts and a dark red T-shirt and pull them on.

 _"_ _Thank you Hestia. These are great."_ I say. I don't know if she's still listening, but I thank her regardless. I pick up my other set of new clothes, which I see is a pair of black jeans, a green T-shirt and a fairly long black and dark red jacked and I pick up my old ratty clothes. _These can probably go in the bin._

I make my way downstairs, and can hear Reyna and Jenna softly talking to each other. _They seem to be getting along well. That's good._ I walk into the kitchen and Reyna looks up at me a little confused.

"Where did you get clothes from?" She asks.

"Hestia sent them to me." I reply, as I walk over to the bin and throw away my old clothes. I walk over to the girls and sit in one of the chairs next to Jenna, who looks like she's about to fall asleep. _Where's Midnight?_ As if to answer my question, Midnight comes trotting into the kitchen.

 _"_ _Where have you been?"_ I ask her, as she nuzzles into my leg.

 _"_ _I had a nap while you guys were eating, and I slept a little longer than planned."_ She replies, yawning in my face. I look at my watch and see that it's getting close to 10pm. _I guess we should get an early night in for once._

Just then Jenna leans against my shoulder, sound asleep. _Could have put money on that._ I look over to Reyna who is smiling sweetly at Jenna sleeping form. I quietly mouth to her that I'll carry her to bed, and slowly manoeuvre myself around her so that she doesn't fall and pick her up. I follow Reyna up the stairs and into the guest room. It's pretty plain, with light blue walls and a wooden floor. There's a double bed, with a desk next to it and a wardrobe in the corner. _Quite the cosy room actually._

Reyna pulls the duvet back, and I gently lay Jenna onto the bed and tuck her in. She mumbles something incoherent in her sleep but doesn't wake up. Reyna and I sneak out of the room and switch the lights off.

"I guess I'll head to bed as well, get my first good nights sleep in a while." I say with a smile, turning to walk down the stairs.

"Hold up a second." Reyna whispers, so as not to wake up Jenna. I stop and turn to her as she walks down the hall and opens the far door on the right. _What's she doing?_ She comes out of the mysterious room carrying some blankets and pillows and walk back over and gives them to me.

"Ah, thanks. These will be handy." I say, taking the bundle from her.

"Goodnight Percy." Reyna say, walking to the door opposite Jenna's.

"Goodnight Reyna." I return, heading down the stairs to find Midnight sitting at the bottom.

 _"_ _What's up?"_ I ask her, giving her a pet on the head and walking to the living room. She quickly falls instep beside me before answering.

 _"_ _I like it here. We should get a house like this."_ She tells me, stopping at the door and waiting for me to open it.

"Since when were we getting a house?" I joke with her, speaking out loud by accident. Without missing a beat Midnight shoots back.

 _"_ _Well you're free to sleep outside if you want, I'll stay here."_

"That actually hurt a little." I say, trying to sound a little sad. But Midnight doesn't fall for it, so I open the door to the living room and let her in. I quickly set up a makeshift bed on the biggest sofa and turn off the lights. I crawl under the blanket and make myself comfortable, only to have Midnight jump up onto the sofa and lie down next to me. I sigh, shuffle further onto the sofa and wrap an arm around the fluffy wolf.

"Goodnight you little opportunist." I whisper in her ear. I receive a sleep goodnight in return as I feel the realm of Morpheus approaching. _Please, no dreams tonight._

(Line Break)

(1 week later)

Over this last week Jenna and I ended up staying at Reyna's house. Which I think surprised a lot of people and, more importantly, pissed of Rickon to no end. _I really don't know why he doesn't like me._

I walked around New Rome with Jenna, showing her all the nice café's and shops, as well as the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus. Even though she can't see it with her eyes, she assures me that she can in fact see what they look like. _Somehow, I chose not to question it._

She also seemed to relax a little around all the people, _men,_ but was still a little on edge most of the time. We would then meet up with Reyna after she finished work and either go out and eat for dinner, or eat in. Turns out Reyna is a wiz in the kitchen, claiming living along means you need to know how to cook. _Again, I chose not to question it._

It was actually a great week, no worries and just relaxing with friends. I called Chiron and told him that we had arrived safely, he was very happy and wished me well. I also called mum, who is now very pregnant. The due date of my little sister, as I have been informed, should be in about a month and I can't wait.

Anyway, we are currently waiting by the bridge over the Little Tiber waiting for the Hunt to turn up, and by we I mean Jenna, Reyna, Midnight and myself. Thalia had called me last night to say that they would be getting here this morning. My jacket, which ends around my knees, blows gently in the wind as we wait.

 _"_ _They're here!"_ Midnight calls out excitedly and runs off towards the tunnel, where the first gleam of silver appears, followed quickly by the hunting horn. I watch Midnight bound up to the 12 year old looking girl who is leading the group. _That must be Artemis._ Who quickly embraces Midnight in a hug. They talk animatedly, well Artemis does, as they walk towards us.

I quickly drop to a knee as the Goddess draws near, while the other two just bow. I can hear the muttering of some of the Hunters, saying some less than family friendly things about me. I just ignore them and stay kneeling.

"Stand Percy." Artemis order. I stand slowly and look at the Goddess, who seems fairly happy.

"It would appear that you have taken good care of Midnight. I will allow her to stay with you." She says with a smirk, I grin back and bow.

"Thank you Lady Artemis." I reply, seeing Reyna's eyes widen out of the corner of my eye. _Did I not tell her where I got Midnight? Huh, it must have slipped my mind._

"It is good to see you again Reyna." Diana says, as Artemis quickly changes aspects.

"The pleasure is mine Lady Diana." Reyna returns politely.

"And I'm guess that this is the young maiden that you told Thalia about." Diana says, turning her gaze to Jenna. Who smiles back and nods in confirmation.

"Well then, why don't we go to my temple and we can have a chat?" Diana says, indicating for Reyna to lead the way.

I spot Thalia as we start walking to Diana's temple, and she grins like an idiot when she sees me. _This is going to hurt._ Thalia jogs up to me and gives me a 'friendly' punch on the shoulder, charged with electricity. If I hadn't been expecting it, she would have decked me.

"How're you doing kelp head?" She asks, pouting a little that I didn't fall over.

"You know me, surviving." I reply, a warm smile spreading across my lips.

The walk to the temple is somewhat uneventful. A few people stop and watch the procession of silver clad girls, who quickly scare away any guy that stares for too long and maybe nearly killing a couple. As we reach the silver temple I stop as they all walk in.

"Aren't you going to come in?" Jenna questions, noticing that I have stopped.

"I'm afraid not. I'm fairly attached to certain parts of my body that I don't want to be removed, by entering Lady Diana's temple without permission." I say, spotting a few Hunters frowning. _Yea I see you, you little psychos._

"I'll wait outside, so go have your chat with Artemis." I say, giving her a little nudge towards the door. She accepts my reasoning and walks in, followed closely by Midnight. Leaving me all by myself outside the temple.

(Line Break

I've been waiting for about 15 minutes now, and I am sat on the stairs to the temple watching the clouds go by.

"What do we have here?" A rough voice calls out. I internally groan as I look down at who had called out, and surprise, surprise, it's Rickon. He seems to always appear when I'm alone with a few of his cronies, so that they can insult me and try and provoke me into a fight.

"Is that little Percy Jackson? Has he been told to wait outside like a good little dog?" He calls out again, earning a few laughs from his friends. I give them a bored look before turning my gaze back to the sky.

I hear him growl in annoyance, annoyed that he didn't get a rise out of me and that I ignored him instead.

"How dare you ignore me you _graecus_ scum." He yells at me, his voice becoming taut. I sigh as I push myself to my feet, dusting myself off. _I can't believe there are still people like him out here._ He grins a horribly toothy grin at me as I stand up.

"What do you want Rick?" I ask, trying to stifle a yawn and failing. Which seems to make him even angrier.

"Well we came to see what all the fuss about the Hunters of Diana was about, and, you know, offer them our company." He says, earning a few arrogant nods from his friends. _These guys are gonna die._ I just smile at him and step to the side.

"Go ahead, I'm sure they're waiting for you with baited breath." Sarcasm lacing my words heavily as I indicate to the huge temple doors. He starts to walk towards the door, sticking his chest out and a smug grin plastered over his face. _Didn't James say that he had a crush on someone?_

"But, you'll have to get through me to get in." I say, stepping into his path. His face quickly contorts in rage as he glares at me, his three friends snigger behind him. Seemingly preferring their odds.

"Come on Rick mate. Crush this guy and let's go in." One of them calls out. I laugh internally, none of them realising that I'm actually saving them from a worse beating.

In a blur Rickon throws a right hook, which I dodge with ease, as he broadcast his hit like a fucking billboard. He throws a few more wild punches, which I evade quickly.

"Come now Rick, that can't be all you've got." I taunt him, as I spin away from another punch and kick him in the stomach. Making him double over.

"Get him!" Rickon orders between gasps for air. The three guys behind him look at each other for a second before charging at me. _Well this is just great._

I dodge and counter their strikes as quickly as I can, earning a few hits to the stomach and my face. But not enough to do any real damage. I quickly dodge an attack from a red headed guy and quickly elbow him in the nose. His head shoots back as his nose explodes red, blood going everywhere as he falls to the ground unconscious.

A brown haired guy to my left growls before trying to tackle me, but I just jump backwards and punch him in the back of the head. Giving him an accelerated greeting with the ground. He stays on the ground, groaning.

The last guy is hanging back a little, weighing up his options. He didn't really seem like he wanted to be here, but joined in anyway. I take a step towards him, but he just raises his hands and walks away. Opting to avoid his beating.

The shink of a sword being drawn pulls my gaze over to Rickon, who has recovered enough to stand back up.

"You don't want to do that." I warn, my hand drifting to my pocket. But he's not listening to me anymore. _Well this has gotten out of hand._

He charges at me, his gladius held high. I quickly pull Riptide from my pocket and pull the cap off. I block the sloppy overhead strike and push Rickon away from me. Which is a lot harder than I thought it would be, he weighs about a bloody ton.

But Rickon presses on, attacking relentlessly. But he isn't a real threat. His swings are slow and predictable, which makes blocking easy enough. _Is he new to the Legion or something?_

"Fight me you coward!" He screams as I block another strike. I dodge his next attack and hit his side with the flat side of Riptide.

"Tell me Rick mate. How long have you been in the Legion for?" I ask, sliding out the way of another wild swing.

"6 months, not that it's any concern of yours." He growls, but he's already breathing hard and sweating buckets. _I actually feel sorry for the big oaf._

As he tries to stab me, I use the very first technique I ever learn. The disarming technique that Luke taught me, and send his sword flying.

"Rickon give up. This is over." I say, putting the cap back on Riptide. He glares utter murder at me, as he looks at his two fallen comrades.

"This isn't over." He growls, stalking away and leaving his two friends behind.

"What's going on here?" A commanding voices calls out from behind me. I turn and see Diana standing in the doorway to her temple.

"Just a couple of trouble makers trying to do something stupid Lady Diana." I inform her, as I drop to a knee. After a second she accepts my story and lets me stand.

Jenna comes running out of the temple, now dressed in the same silver camo as the rest of the Hunt. _Looks like she joined._ I smile at the excited 12 year old, who runs up and hugs me.

As the Hunt files out a few look at me with disgust, while Thalia and now Artemis smile at me.

"I must thank you for bringing this young maiden to my Percy. She will make a fine addition to the Hunt." Artemis says, stepping closer to me as Jenna lets go of me.

"You might have mentioned that she was blind." She whispers to me, making me grin.

"But where is the fun in that." I reply. Artemis smiles and turns to the Hunt.

"We'll be staying here for the night and then heading out in the morning." She calls out, to all the happy looking girls who start to walk back into the temple.

"I'll see you later Percy." Jenna says, before running after them. _A blind Hunter, who would have thought?_ Reyna walks up next to me as I watch Artemis and Jenna disappear into the temple.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Reyna asks, as we start to walk back to New Rome.

"Don't you have work?" I joke, expecting her to groan. But instead she smiles.

"Actually I have an off day today." She tells me, looking genuinely pleased that she has a day off from work. _I guess she is just like the rest of us._

"Well, this calls for a celebration." I say with mock enthusiasm, earning myself a glare. _Yea I probably deserved that._

"As it is your day off, why don't you decide what we should do. If you really want to spend it with me." I say, moving the decision making onto her. She thinks for a second before, a small flicker of a smile twitches at the corner of her mouth.

"I've got just the thing." She states, before walking a bit quicker towards the forum.

 _I have a bad feeling about this._

 ** _A/N: Here's the next one guys. It may seem a little fillerish, that's because it is. I just need to do this part. Anyway you know the drill, and I hope you enjoyed it._**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

(1 Month Later)

It's been quite the interesting month in New Rome. I haven't rejoined the Legion, but I'm not exactly sitting idly around. Well, maybe a little.

Hestia has been sending my out on rescue missions to save lost Demigods. Mainly young kids who don't know how to get to the Wolf house and are living on the streets, and a couple of rescues from horrible houses.

There was this one little boy who Hestia had told me about who was living in Los Angeles. His father, who was a drunk, was beating him daily. So I told Reyna that I was going on a mission for Hestia and started my trip to LA. Which in actuality was a really short trip, I just jumped into the San Francisco bay and followed the coast all the way to LA.

It only took me about 5 hours to get there, which is a lot quicker than walking. I snuck out of the water and onto the beach, dried myself and made my way into the city, _because there's nothing weird about a man walking out of the sea wearing a long coat and jeans._

All that Hestia told me was an address in Korea town, and the name Sam. So I wandered through Korea town for about an hour trying to find this house and when I did, I was disgusted. It was a small-dilapidated house, with piles of rubbish surrounding the front door and the front lawn. I traversed the rubbish heap of a lawn and made my way to the front door, to hear a rough voice shouting and slurring words. _Well that doesn't sound good._

I quickly kicked the door in, only to recoil at the horrendous smell that escaped through the door. I pulled the collar of my coat over my mouth and I ran into the house, using the shouting to guide me. I followed the voice up the stairs to find a massively overweight short man, pounding and yelling at a door.

"You know, if you ask kindly the door might open." I said with a smile. He turns his red eyes to me and squints.

"Who the fuck are you?" He demanded angrily, turning his full attention to me.

"Nobody important, but I will be taking your son from you." I deadpanned, as I walked towards him. The guy actually laughed at me as he eyed me up and down.

"Sure you are princess. Now get the hell out of my house, before I beat the shit out of you." He slurred as he looked up at me. He looked me up and down, apparently deciding what to do next.

His choice was to throw a punch. It was quicker than I had thought it was going to be and I only just managed to avoid getting a black eye. I returned with a punch to the stomach, making him double over and then delivered a quick knee to his chin. He falls to the ground, limp and unconscious. I turned to the door he was banging on and knocked lightly.

"Sam? Are you in there?" I asked quietly. I didn't get a response, which was kind of expected.

"Sam, it's ok to come out now. Your dad won't hurt you anymore." I continued, trying to sound as friendly as I could. The door opened an inch, revealing a muddy brown eye.

"Who're you?" A small voice asked, as his eyes fell on his father.

"The guy that's going to get you out of this hell hole." I replied with a small grin, making him open the door a fraction more.

"Do you mean that?" He asked again, his voice breaking a little bit. It broke my heart to hear the hope in his sad voice.

"Of course little man, let's get you out of here." I replied, crouching down to his eye level and holding out a hand. He slowly reached out his hand and put it in mine, opening the door the whole way now. He couldn't have been more than 8, he wore a patchy top and baggy jeans and he had long straight brown hair that matched his eyes.

"Let's get you out of here." I said, leading him out of the house.

(Line Break)

As we made our way to the Wolf House I explained to him the mythological world and that we were going to a place where he will train. Before he could come to Camp Jupiter. He seemed a little disheartened but walked into the house with a determined look. I think he'll do alright.

Anyway, apart from that I got a smallish house in New Rome. Spent most of my days training, I've met up with Frank and Hazel a couple of times. They're still not really used to being Gods yet and it's really funny. People will bow to them and call them Lord and Lady, and they will get so flustered that they almost always nearly flash away.

Midnight has adapted to the city life quite well, people aren't afraid of her anymore and actually greet her and give her treats. Which obviously makes her very happy.

Then there is Reyna. I think Reyna has become my best friend here. We hangout whenever we're free, going out to café's, or sparring with each other, or just generally helping each other whenever the other needs it. She's helped Midnight get me out of a few depressive states and I've helped her open that ironclad shell of hers a bit.

I also try and help her with work, but I usually just get told off for doing it wrong and sent away with Midnight laughing at me. _So a pretty exciting month._ I'm currently sitting in a café eating lunch with Midnight lying at my feet. I scan the crowd as it goes by, watching people going about their daily business in the sun.

Reyna, Hazel and Frank all have plans today so I'm eating alone for once. _It's actually surprisingly peaceful eating alone._ I notice a small girl stop her mum and point at me.

"Isn't that the Consul's bodyguard?" I only just hear her ask. _Since when was that a thing?_ I give her a little wave and shake my head at her. Her eyes get wider as she hides behind one of her mum's legs.

 _"_ _You scared her."_ Midnight says with a small laugh.

 _"_ _What? How?"_ I ask, looking down at Midnight. Who continues to laugh at me.

 _"_ _Normally people wouldn't hear what she said from this distance. She probably thinks you have some special power over New Rome now."_ Midnight explains to me. I look back at the little girl, who is looking a little embarrassed as she walks away with her mum. _That's gonna spread like wildfire. Percy Jackson, the Consul's bodyguard who has special powers over New Rome. Wonderful._

I pay for my lunch and make my way towards the Senate House. _Might as well check if the meeting is done._ It's a short walk to the Senate House and when I get there I walk through one of the back entrances and leave Midnight outside, so that I don't disrupt the meetings proceedings.

I stand in a one of the back corners, hidden in the shadows thanks to my black jeans and coat.

"I still don't understand why we are trusting this Greek boy! He walks around completely unsupervised. What if he attacks the city? We all know what he can do without his weapons." A guy calls out. It looks like the guy that replaced Octavian as the Centurion of the 1st Cohort. _He was probably one of Octavian's followers._ He has black hair and is fairly skinny for a legionnaire. _I bet he's spewing xenophobic bullshit left and right._

"Really? Are we still talking about this? Sit down and shut up Benjamin, we've already decided that he can stay in New Rome and that if he wishes he can rejoin the Legion." Dakota says, obviously vexed by Benjamin. Benjamin sits down, glaring at Dakota and Alice. _I bet he wanted to be Praetor._

Reyna is just sitting quietly, watching the proceedings unfold.

"Anyway, I think that about wraps up everything for today. Meeting adjourned." Alice says, standing up with Dakota. Everyone else stands up and slowly files out of the building. I give everyone a minute to leave before walking out of my dark corner and over to Dakota and Alice.

"How's it going guys?" I ask, giving both of them a fright. Dakota nearly spills his Kool-aid, _I guess he's still addicted._

"Percy? What're you doing here?" He asks, quickly regaining his composure.

"Just came to see how you guys are doing." I reply. Dakota visibly relaxes, while Alice seems to be inspecting me a little.

"So how was the meeting? Boring?" I ask, finishing quietly looking around the room.

"You know how it is. The same things go round about a dozen times before we finish." He smiled. _Yea, they bored me half to death too._

"What have you been up to?" Alice inquires. Her voice is level, but I can just pick up the hints of some kind of accusation. _She doesn't fully trust me does she?_

"Um, I trained for a few hours this morning. Then I walked around New Rome with Midnight, had some Lunch and now I'm here talking to you guys." I reply happily. She looks at me a second longer, before nodding at me and walking away.

"She doesn't like me." I whisper to Dakota, who laughs at me.

"Nah, she's just a little slow to trust people. You'll get through to her with your winning personality eventually." He sniggers, patting me on the shoulder and walking away. _Well, what to do now?_

I'm pulled from my musings by a tap on my shoulder.

"You should do a better job of sneaking in to this place." A familiar voice scolds. I turn around and grin at Reyna, who's now wearing her purple toga and glittery cloak with her hair braided over her shoulder.

"No one saw me?" I assured, indicating to the now empty room.

"I saw you." She chided, giving me a pointed look.

"Touché Reyna, touché." I admit. She grins and gives me a slap on the shoulder.

"Be more careful in the future, especially with what they were talking about." She implores, walking towards the front door. I follow her and ask.

"Why's that guy got such a thing against me anyway?"

"He was one of Octavian's lackeys, quite devote from what I've heard." She sighs rubbing her forehead. _Called it!_ As we walk outside we're greeted by a happy Midnight, who runs up to Reyna first. _That hurts._

"Well hello Midnight. I was wondering where you were hiding." Reyna greets the wolf, giving her a stroke. _I feel like she likes Reyna more than me sometimes._

(Line Break)

We're walking back towards the forum when an Iris message appears in front of us, showing a somewhat shell shocked Paul.

"Oh thank god it worked." Paul sighs in relief.

"What's happening Paul?" I ask, a little urgent. I only asked him to call me in an emergency. But Paul just smiles at me.

"Your mums going into labour." He chimes, his grin growing bigger by the second. _YES!_ I smile back at Paul and then frown. _How am I going to get there?_

"This is great. I'll try and find a way to get there." I say, putting on a smile to hide my disappointment. _I can't get there in time, there's no way._

"Ok, hopefully see you soon." Paul replies, swiping his hand through the image. _I'm actually impressed he got it to work first time._ I look over at Reyna who is smiling at me a little.

"How am I going to get there? It's on the other side of the country." I whine, hoping that she'll give me a good plan. But before she can say anything, a whirlwind of fire explodes in front of us. I instinctively step in front of Reyna, to stop the flames from reaching her. _Yay being fire proof._ Hestia then steps out of the flames and gives me a smile.

"I hear you need a lift." She grins, looking at us.

"I didn't know you offered a taxi service." I grin back, making the Goddess laugh a little. That's when we both notice that everyone around, including Reyna is bowing.

"Please stand everyone and go about your business." Hestia calls out and everyone does, albeit slowly as they watch the goddess.

"Lady Vesta, it is nice to meet you." Reyna says, as she stands from her bow.

"You to Reyna. It's nice to finally meet the person Percy trusted with our secret." Hestia replies kindly, giving me an accusing glance. I just smile at her and shrug my shoulders.

"What? It was absolutely necessary." I reply, making Hestia sigh.

"Anyway, we have a pregnant lady waiting. Lets go." She continues, a little giddy. _She's as excited as I am about this birth._

 _"_ _You're going to be on your own for a bit. Take care."_ I tell Midnight, giving her a soft pat on the head.

 _"_ _Ok. Tell them I say hi."_ She replies, running off down the street. She snaps her fingers and I can feel warm flames wrap around me for a second and then I can hear cars driving past. I open my eyes and see that we are in an alley opposite the hospital my mum should be in.

"Um, why did you bring me?" A confused Reyna asks. Hestia and I both spin around to see her standing behind us a little awkwardly. I look at Hestia, who just gives me a confused shrug before looking back to Reyna.

"I really don't know. I didn't mean to." Hestia admits, before turning to look at the entrance to the hospital. I follow her gaze and see my mum being guided in by Paul. I lose all self control and sprint across the street, making a few cars swerve and honk their horns at me.

"Mum!" I call out, making her turn and look. They both smile as they see me running up to them.

"How did you get here?" They ask in unison. _I really thought that would end when I stopped hanging around the Stoll's._

"A little Godly intervention." I say with a wink, looking back at the alley. Seeing Hestia wave, while a slightly embarrassed Reyna crosses the street. She's changed out of her toga and cloak and is now wearing a pair of worn jeans, a white top, a leather jacket and boots. _It's a good look on her._

She spots me watching her and all she says when she gets up to us is "Hestia". Before we all walk inside.

"So I guess you're the infamous Reyna." Mum asks, as we walk through the lobby.

"Yes and it is a pleasure and an honour to meet you Mrs. Jackson." Reyna replies, bowing her head slightly. I hold in a laugh as mum tries to figure out how to reply to Reyna. But thankfully we reach the reception, where she gets whisked away by some nurses.

"I guess I'll keep you updates. Unless you want to come in?" Paul offers. I immediately shake my head and step away, earning a grin from Paul and Reyna.

"Nope. I'm good." I concede. Paul nods and runs off after my mum. While Reyna and I sit down in the waiting area.

"Your mum seems nice." Reyna says as we sit down. _Why does this sound familiar?_

"Yea, she's the best." I gush a little, still smiling like an idiot.

"Oh yea, did Hestia have an explanation or anything?" I ask, remembering the Goddess slight blunder at bringing Reyna.

"No not really. She just said that it might have been she was so excited that she wasn't really paying attention." Reyna explains. _Yea, sounds like something Hestia would do._

"But, she gave me a change of clothes and then sent me after you." Reyna continued, obviously thankful for the clothes as explaining why you're wearing a toga would have taken a while.

"Yea, they look nice. You kind of look like a biker girl." I say, trying to get comfortable in the very uncomfortable hospital chair. I spot Reyna's cheeks redden but think nothing of it, continuing in my endeavour.

(Line Break)

We have been sat in this waiting area for about 9 hours and Reyna and I have been chatting a joking with each other, acting like normal teenagers for once. Even though we're both immortal and I look 21. _Details._

Paul has come out a couple of times, to keep us up to date. But in all honesty I have no idea what he's talking about. I'm currently lying sideways over my chair, with my legs over the armrest, leaning lightly against Reyna's shoulder, trying to follow Reyna's example and get some sleep. _I'm a little jealous at how easily she fell asleep._

It's been nice spending time away from camp with Reyna, she comes out of her shell a lot more when there aren't people she knows around. I can feel my eyelids getting heavier as sleep takes its hold of me. _Finally._

"Percy!" My eyes fly open at my name. The clock on the wall says that I've been asleep for an hour. _Didn't I just get to sleep?_ I tilt my head back slightly and see that Reyna is leaning on her hand, still asleep. _How does she do it?_

I blink the sleep from my eyes and look for whoever called my name. I spot Paul scanning the fairly packed waiting room from a big double door. I slowly raise an arm so that he can see me and he comes running over. He looks a little tired, but his eyes are dancing with excitement.

"Do you want to come and meet your baby sister?" He asks, barely containing his happiness. I scramble to my feet, nudging Reyna by accident and waking her up.

"What're you doing?" She whines, pulling her jacket tighter around her, trying to get back to sleep. _Well that was adorable._ I give her another small nudge, waking her up again.

"Reyna, she's here." I tell her softly. She half opens an eye and gives me a questioning glare.

"Who's here?" She asks sleepily. _Has she forgotten where she is?_

"My sister, you blockhead." I jest, pointing at Paul. That seems to wake her up, as I now have her full attention.

"Well get going then." She says, giving me a little push to get started.

"Oh no buddy, you're coming too. You came all this way, even if it was by accident. You get to be my first friend to meet my little sister." I state, grabbing her hand and pull her up.

"A-are you s-sure? I-I don't think you're mum will want me in there, she doesn't even know me." She stutters, trying to pull out of my grip. I just give her a grin and pull her after me as I follow Paul deeper into the hospital.

It takes no time for us to reach the room that mum is in and when we enter I stop and gasp, as the little girl in my mums arms is breath taking. She has a mess of brown her and sapphire blue eyes.

"Percy, meet your little sister Lilly." Mum says, holding the smallest human I have ever seen in my life. I come to a halt by the door, Paul walks over to my mum and Reyna stops by my side.

"Go say hello Percy." Reyna whispers encouragingly, giving me a little nudge. I take a few steps forward, so that I am right next to mum. Mum looks exhausted but ecstatic at the same time. My breath catches in my throat as I look down on my sister. She is the most precious thing that I have ever seen in my life. _I will protect her with my life._

"She's beautiful." I whisper, barely holding in my excitement. I lose all function to do anything, as I just stand there and stare at Lilly, who just looks sleepily back up at me. I don't really know how long I had been standing there, but I'm pulled from my awe by mum.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asks, holding Lilly out slightly. _How the Hades do you hold a baby?_ I throw a panicked glance at Reyna who is standing just inside the door. Reyna rolls her eyes and smiles while miming how to hold a baby. _Ok, we're going to talk about this later._

I mimic the way she holds her arms and take Lilly from my mum. She is so light and fragile I worry that I might break her. But she just stares up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, which make my emotions run rampant.

On the verge of tears I turn to Reyna, who is smiling at me. I'm at a complete loss for words, I glance back to mum and Paul who are hugging happily.

"Look how beautiful she is." I whisper to Reyna, motioning for her to come closer. She takes a couple of hesitant steps to stand next to me and looks down at the small bundle in my arms. Her eyes sparkle as she smiles warmly at the small girl.

"She really is." She whispers back.

 _Life is looking pretty great at the moment._

 ** _A/N: Sorry this took so long, it took me a while to write this one. I had to rewrite it a dozen times or so. I'm sorry if its not too great, but I hope that you enjoyed it. You know the drill and I'll catch you next time._**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: Also I forgot to do this last chapter but thank you Death Fury for suggesting Lilly for Percy's sister, and thank all you guys for your reviews. You're all awesome.**

 **(Percy POV)**

In the car back to mums apartment I'm struggling to contain all my happiness at now having a little sister. Every time I look at her my heart explodes with love. _How can such a tiny person have such a massive effect?_

I look at Reyna, who is sat on the other side of Lilly in the back of the car with me. Hestia said that she'd take us back to New Rome tomorrow morning, and although she was slightly annoyed at the Goddess, she took it fairly well. Regardless, she is smiling happily down at Lilly and letting Lilly grab hold of her finger. _She is surprisingly good with babies._

Paul parks the car and we all climb out. I carefully pass Lilly to mum and follow them as we walk up to the apartment.

"You can sleep in my room tonight. I'll sleep on the couch." I whisper to Reyna, walking through the door.

"Oh no, I appreciate the offer but I couldn't put you out like that." She quickly returns, giving me a thankful smile.

"It's fine, seriously. Also I don't think my mum will let you decline." I tell her in a quiet voice. She looks ready to argue, but we reach the door to the apartment and as we are walking in my mum says.

"Reyna dear, you can sleep in Percy's room tonight. He won't mind sleeping on the couch." She gives me a look that says, _don't even think about arguing._ I just give Reyna a nudge and whisper.

"I told you." Which earns me a light tap on the arm.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay, I'm sorry if this causes you any inconveniences." Reyna says a little apologetically. Mum just waves it off and shows Reyna to my room, talking happily about the adorably small girl in her arms. I watch them go for a second before heading to the kitchen, to find Paul making some coffee.

"Long day huh?" I joke, taking a seat at the table. Paul turns to me with a grin.

"Something like that." He grins.

"I still can't believe that she's actually here. Some part of me thought it was a dream, but it's like I'm seeing colour again after only seeing black and white." He gushes, his eyes growing a little distant with happiness.

"Tell me about it, I've wanted a sibling for years. But in all honesty I thought that the first would be a child of Poseidon." I reveal, leaning back in my chair. Paul nods in agreement as he pours his coffee into a mug and takes a seat opposite me, and we sit in a comfortable silence. Both of us smiling like morons.

Mum walks in carrying blankets and pillows. _This feels familiar._ She hands them to me and I make my way to the living room.

As I'm walking through the hall I catch a glimpse of Reyna. She's standing in mum's room holding Lilly and slowly dancing around the room with her, whilst humming quietly. She's dressed in a white nightie, which hugs her figure a little loosely. _Huh, that must be one of mums old one's._

I continue to walk into the living room when it hits me. I look back just before Reyna spins out of view, and I feel a soft pang in my chest. _Holy Hephaestus she looks angelic._ Her hair is hanging loosely down her back and is swaying with each step and spin, and then she's gone.

I shake my head slightly and carry on into the living room, where I make my bed on the couch. I quickly go get changed into some shorts and clean my teeth. I bid everyone a good night and go to bed, thankfully to a dreamless sleep.

(Line Break)

I'm woken up by a slight tickling across my face and the soft calling of my name. _What is that?_ I slowly swat at my face, trying to get the tickling to stop. Only for a small laugh to follow and stop saying my name. _Who is that?_

As I slowly wake up, I can hear the blurry voices of a conversation going on next to me. They sound like they're joking about something and a laugh confirms that. But as I finally get one eye open there's no one in the room. _Did I imagine that?_

I slowly pull myself up and rub the sleep from my eyes. _Last night was pretty awesome._ I stumble into the kitchen where everyone is sitting around the table, chatting and laughing as Reyna tells them a funny story about me from Camp. _It's really nice to see Reyna coming out of her shell._ I stumble into a chair and lie down on the table.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty." Mum chimes, giving me a warm smile. I smile back and mumble back something, I'm not really sure what.

"Percy, Vesta will be getting here in an hour, so you should probably get ready to leave before having breakfast." Reyna informs me, giving me a sharp poke in the ribs to wake me up a bit. I mumble something in the shape of an agreement and head to the shower.

Hestia appears in here usual plume of fire, scaring Paul halfway to Hades. Mum goes to bow, but is swiftly stopped by Hestia who begs mum to meet Lilly. Mum agrees readily and leads the Goddess down the hall.

"Are all the Gods like that?" Paul asks quietly.

"Like overgrown children? It's probably better you don't know the answer to that." I sigh, making Reyna laugh and Paul look a little terrified. _Who can blame him._

Hestia comes back into the room giggling a little. _She's like a kid._ Mum follows her in carrying Lilly and I can immediately feel myself smile.

"Look who came to say goodbye." Hestia gushes. _She really likes babies. It's a shame that she can't have any as a maiden Goddess._

"Goodbye Lilly, I'll come visit whenever I can." I say, planting a kiss on her forehead. I then give my mum a light hug and shake Pals hand, giving them a warm goodbye. I take as step back to Hestia and wait to be flashed away. Reyna offers a quick farewell just before the flames engulf us and we reappear back in New Rome.

"Thank you so much for taking me there, I can never repay you enough." I say, turning towards Hestia with a big smile. She quickly pulls me into a hug, before she flashes away. Kind of making it look like I was hugging a fire. _That's not going to spread weird rumours._

"So Consul back to work?" I ask, praying that she says no.

"Yes. I don't know why you're asking like you have a job though." She replies with a small grin. Slowly she secures her iron shell back in place and walks off towards her house, looking as stoic as ever. _Well it was nice while it lasted._

(5 Months Later)

(Senate House)

You may be wondering why I am in the Senate house, it's a good question and I don't really know the answer myself. Reyna told me yesterday that I had to be here at 10am, and here I am and no one is here.

After waiting for 5 minutes senators start to show up. Slowly at first and then all in one big wave. _It's about time._ Reyna sees me and walks over.

"Good you're here. This meeting may get a little heated, I was asked to bring you. So just stand by me and don't do anything stupid." She whispers a little urgently. I just nod and follow her into the building. _Everyone looks grim as Hades_.

Once everyone has taken their seats, except me that is, Dakota stands up and brings the meeting to attention.

"Senators, we are here to discuss the information that has been brought to our attention." Dakota begins, looking around the room. Everyone still looks pretty grim, whilst Benjamin looks pretty smug. _That can't be good._

I look down at Reyna, who shrugs. Even though I'm behind her and she can't see me. _She frightens me sometimes._

"There was an attempted murder in New Rome last night." Reyna and I gasp in unison, earning a few questioning looks. _How else did they expect us to react?_ Dakota smiles in relief for a fraction of a second before he continues.

"There aren't many witness accounts and the few there are, are vague and inconsistent. One claims they saw a spike of ice try to impale the victim, while another claims that a man in a cloak tried to use a bronze knife." The room is in silence as everyone thinks over what he just said, and as he is about to continue Benjamin stands up. _This can't be going anywhere good._

"Well I think it seems pretty clear who our first suspect should be." He almost gloats. His gaze falls on me and his eyes dance. I just wolf glare back at him, making him flinch slightly.

"Well don't stand there like a bloody tree, out with it!" A Lare calls out, making Benjamin glare at him.

"Well there is only one person in the entire city and barracks that uses water and bronze as weapons." He doesn't say my name directly but you would have to be as stupid as a rock not to catch that.

Everyone's eyes fall on me, a couple sympathetic, some others deep in thought and a few agreeing with the statement. Dakota gives me an apologetic look before sighing.

"I'm going to go out on a limb that you are talking about Percy." Dakota says, obviously battling himself not to berate Benjamin.

"Obviously, the _graecus_ is a son of Neptune and the Greeks are know to use celestial bronze." Benjamin lays down the facts like they're law. I see Reyna's hand tighten into a fist making her knuckles go white.

"While that may be true, there has no mention in any record anywhere that a son on Neptune has the ability to control Ice." Alice pipes up, looking down at Benjamin a little bored. _Huh, I didn't know that._ Reyna throws a worried glance my way. _Yea I told her I can use ice._ But Benjamin doesn't stop there.

"I told you all that this would happen." He starts, completely ignoring what Alice said.

"He is a threat to our safety and should be removed immediately a-" His rant is cut short by a small laugh from Reyna, making every bodies head snap towards her. I look down and see that she is really struggling to contain her laughter. _Well this is a first._

"Consul, what is so funny?" Benjamin asks, grinding his teeth.

"So many things _Centurion_." Her voice instantly freezing over when she states his rank and her gaze swirling like the entrance to the underworld, making him shrink back into his chair.

"First, if you're accusation is correct. How did Percy get the knife into the city? Terminus would have stopped him." She says, her voice flat and emotionless. It looks like Benjamin wasn't expecting people to pick apart his evidence.

"Second, Percy wasn't in New Rome last night. He was down at the barracks till late last night, and there are about 50 witnesses who can testify to that." She continues, pushing herself to her feet.

"And finally, do you really think that if he planned this attack and also planned to stay in the city that he would have used water as a weapon. Even for him that would be stupid." She finishes, her voice hitting like a sledgehammer. Benjamin is stunned silent for a few second before he composes himself.

"It is known that Percy is affiliated with the Gods in some way, maybe he convinced one of them to hide a weapon from Terminus." He replies, making most of the people in the room roll their eyes.

"Then what of the time he spent between leaving the barracks and going home? He could have easily managed to attack the poor girl in that time." He continues, seemingly on a roll now. But I just see Reyna grin slightly. _What's she planning?_

"As for using the ice, maybe it became a weapon of opportunity when the girl fought back." He finishes, looking triumphant at his response. _I would never attack a girl. Well, unless she was trying to kill me. But that's different._

"So your whole case relies on the period of time between when Percy left the barracks and got home?" Reyna ask, getting a smug grin in return. Everyone else is watching the exchange like a tennis match, and I'm pretty sure I saw someone taking bets.

"Well you'll be disappointed to find out that I can provide an alibi for his whereabouts." She grins. _Well it's not a lie._ Everyone looks a little shocked at her response.

"As I was with Percy when he left the barracks and he then came back to my house to help me with some paper work that I had yet to finish. But, being Percy, he fell asleep halfway through and effectively slept on my kitchen table." She informs everyone. Dakota's grin grows exponentially as he stands again.

"There you have it. It couldn't have been him. We will begin a proper investigation and find out who the actually criminal is." Dakota says in a commanding voice. _He's getting better at this._

The rest of the meeting crawls past. They spoke about what had been done to prepare for the coming war. In short, they've increased the level of training and integrated some more solo fighting skills. Walls now surround Camp Jupiter and New Rome, with defensive weapon emplacements set and ready. The Legion has been slowly growing as well, Sam even turned up as well. That was a nice reunion.

During all this time I had been out completing missions for Hestia. Still mainly helping lost children, but there is the occasional hunt for dangerous monsters as well. _Those are fun._ In return, Hestia takes me to visit mum, Lilly and Paul.

The meeting draws to an end, _finally_ , after 3 hours. _Well that wasn't so bad._ Then I hear something.

It's so quiet you could have played it off as the wind. But is sounded so much like a quiver. I slowly scan the room so that I don't alert anyone. But I don't see anything. _Did I imagining it?_

I stay on alert and rest my hand on my watch. Then there is another sound. It's the faint sound of wood bending and straining. _Someone's got a bow aimed in here._ I take a step closer to Reyna and put my shield hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me confused, but doesn't ask any questions.

"Meeting adjourn-" Dakota is cut off by, well, me. As he is finishing his sentence there is the telltale twang of a bowstring. In a flash I pull Reyna behind me and expand my shield. There are two thuds against it, and one glancing scrape. _I only heard one, where are the other two?_ There is panic as people see the arrows sprout from my shield, and people start running for the exit. _How did they get a weapon in her? I'm going to be having some strong words with Terminus later._

I peak over the top of my shield and look for the attacker, but like before I can't see anything and that's when I notice the arrows. The arrows are pitch black and are a little formless, as if they might just disintegrate into a shadow at a moments notice. _Not these again._

"Ok here's the plan. You take the shield and secure the building from the outside and I'll deal with the attacker." I lay out my plan and Reyna just nods. _I was expecting her to argue with me._

I wait for the next arrow to strike and then quickly hand the shield to her, well I guess it was more like a throw. I will the water from a bottle of water that was on Reyna's table and quickly catch another arrow. _Oh how I miss my swords._

Reyna is running for the door when I spot the hidden archer taking aim at her. They are hidden up in the rafters of the excessively large room. _Not today asshole._

I quickly make my water into a whip and flick it around the archer's ankle, making them yelp in surprise and making them loose the arrow. _Ah shit._

I pull the assassin towards me and as they are about to hit the floor I grab them by their throat and slam them into floor, causing the ground to tremor a little bit. Looking down I see that the would be assassin is one of the younger Legionnaires in camp. He only found his way here couple of months ago, but he looks wrong.

He's as pale as Nico, if not more so and has large black rings around his eyes. While his eyes are pitch black, but I can tell they are looking at me as a sadistic grin grows on the little boys face.

"I don't think that I am your biggest concern here." He grins, his voice sounding a little disembodied. _What?_ I quickly look up and see what he means. Reyna is lying by the doors with an arrow through her stomach. _No!_

I give the weird kid a quick punch to the temple, knocking him unconscious and I run over to Reyna's prone form, where a small puddle of blood is slowly growing. I slide to my knees as I get close to her and slowly pick her up. She lets out a small gasp of pain as I do, but doesn't protest.

"The only time you don't wear your bloody armour to a meeting and you get shot. Fucking typical." I mutter to myself as I inspect the wound. She laughs weakly at me and looks down at the arrow. It pierced her just below her ribcage and has gone completely through her. _Well, at least that makes treating her a little easier._

"Sorry about this." I say, receiving a confused look. I pull the water that I had used earlier to hover around me as I grip the shaft of the arrow. I quickly snap the head off of the arrow and in one quick movement pull the arrow out with a sick pop. Reyna gasps again, trying to hold her pain in.

I then move the water over her wounds and hold it there, so that it can get to work healing her.

"Your plan sucked." She groans, giving me a small smile.

"Hey, all you had to do was run with a shield. How can you mess that up?" I say, trying not to laugh at the situation.

"Greek shields aren't as tall as Roman ones, I didn't account for that." She explains, as she starts to look a bit better. Before I can make a funny remark, the Centurions come charging back into the building. Fully kitted out and ready for war. They all stop when they see me holding a somewhat bloody Reyna on the floor.

In a flash Benjamin is next to me with his sword to my throat. _Really man?_

"Let go of _our_ Consul, you _graecus_ filth." He growls at me. I glance back at the other Centurions with a raised eyebrow. Only about 3 of them seem to agree with Benjamin.

"You do realise that I am the only thing keeping her alive right now." I tell him, pointing at the water over her wound. But it would seem that Benjamin doesn't care about that.

"Let. Her. Go! Or I will kill you." He yells at me. I'm about to question his intelligence when I'm cut off.

"Centurion! Stand down, he saved my life while the rest of you ran. Proving to be more of a Roman than the rest of you." Reyna commands, as she slowly sits up. Making everyone look at the ground in shame. Benjamin hesitates for a second, but slowly complies with his superior.

"The person you should be seizing is over there." I say, pointing over to the small boy on the floor. Benjamin glares at me before marching over the unconscious boy with a couple other people.

"Thanks, that really could have gone sideways." I whisper to Reyna, she nods as she tries to stand up and fails. I quickly jump to my feet and slowly help her up. _Sure healing with water is quick, but it still bloody hurts for a while._

I support Reyna as she tries to take a step, she seems able enough so I give her a little space to try by herself. I look over to the group of guilty looking Romans and spot Dakota and Alice. I wave them over to me and they walk over with their heads down.

"Is everyone else alright? I didn't really have time to check." I ask them both. They look at each other a little shocked before looking back at me.

"Yes, everyone else is fine. And it would seem that thanks to your quick reflexes and skill over water, the Consul is ok as well." Alice says, with a grateful smile. I scratch the back of my head a little embarrassed at the praise.

"It was nothing, I just happened to hear the bow." I smile, making both their eyes go wide.

"You, heard it?" Dakota asks in disbelief.

"Um, yea. At first I thought it was the wind, but then I heard the twang of the string. That's when I pulled Reyna out the way." I explain, a little confused at their reaction.

"Where was the assassin in the building?" Alice asks. Still confused I point up to the rafters, where the boy was perched.

"Percy, that's a good 30ft away. How did you hear that? Especially over the talking." Alice presses, some many questions flashing behind her eyes.

"Um, I don't know. I just did." I reply lamely. That's when Midnight bursts into the room, apparently having enough of sitting outside in suspense. She sees me and comes bounding over and jumps into my outstretched arms, scaring the two Praetors.

 _"_ _You're safe. Thank the Gods. When you didn't come out with the rest of them I began to worry."_ She cries a little, relief poking at the edge of my mind. _Oh yea, I still need to ask her about that._

"Yea, I'm fine. Reyna got hit though, but it's nothing serious." I tell her, putting her down and pointing her in the direction of the limping girl. Midnight quickly runs up to Reyna and whines a little as she nudges her leg, silently offering to take some of her weight. I turn back to Dakota and Alice, who look to be in deep in a quiet conversation and taking quick glances at me.

"What's up?" I ask, feeling a little self-conscious.

"Nothing, but I think that we might have a job for you." Dakota states seriously.

"Really? I kind of liked to doing my own thing." I joke a little, getting a glare from both of them.

"I was only joking, geez." I quickly add.

"How would you feel about becoming a Praetorian Guard?" Dakota offers. _What is a Praetorian Guard?_

"A what now?" I ask, confusion filling my words. Alice sighs but smiles at me.

"In short you'd act as personal security, or if you prefer, a bodyguard." Alice informs me, holding a hand out to Dakota. Who grudgingly hands her some Denarii. _They bet on me not knowing!_

But I think about their offer for a second. _I guess it would give me something to do during the days. But who would I be guarding._

"If you accept you will be the first Praetorian Guard I ages and you'll get certain privileges." Dakota says, trying to sell the position.

"I guess I wouldn't mind. Who would I be guarding anyway? Please say it's not someone that doesn't like me, like Benjamin." I plead at the end. But the two just smile at me and turn towards the door. I follow their gaze and see Reyna leaning slightly on Midnight as they walk out the building. _No, they can't be serious. She doesn't need a guard, she's like a whole bloody army by herself._

"Um, I don't think she really needs a guard." I say quietly, just in case she hears me.

"I beg to differ. She would have died without you here today." Alice returns, her eyes glinting slightly. _She's planning something._

"I doubt she'll agree to it, and doesn't she overrule you anyway?" I ask, trying to find a way out. _Reyna will definitely feel insulted by someone offering to guard her._

"She does. But I think she'll accept, give me a second." Alice replies with a small smirk. _She's definitely up to something._ Alice quickly runs off after Reyna and quietly talks with her.

"She's planning something isn't she?" I ask Dakota, who's just standing there with a cheeky grin. _He's in on it._

"I don't really know, but I'm sure it'll work out." His grin only growing.

(Line Break)

After a minute of hushed words and the occasional glance Alice smiles and come running back to us, while Reyna looks a little defeated but, _happy?_

"She agreed to it." Alice sings, as Dakota hands her a couple more Denarii. _He's going to go bankrupt if this continues._

"Huh?" Is all I can manage to say in response. I expected her to be outraged and deny the offer. _Why'd she say yes?_

"She said yes. So after we hold a little ceremony you will be appointed her Praetorian Guard." She finishes, rolling one of Dakota's coins along her knuckles. _Well I guess as long as she's fine with it._

"WHAT!" An angry howl rolls through the Senate House. We all look and see an enraged Benjamin standing a few feet away. _Should have known._

"What?" I ask him.

"You're making him a Praetorian Guard of the Consul? A potential enemy so close to her is idiotic." He rages, walking up to Alice who gives him a blank stare.

"Yet, he's the one that saved her while we all ran away." Alice returns calmly, glaring at the enraged Centurion like a hawk.

"It could have all been a ploy. We don't know what that boy has to say, he's still unconscious. They could be in cahoots." Benjamin continues, his voice a little weaker though. _Did he say cahoots? How old is he?_

"Who would you choose then?" Dakota asks, his patience running thin.

"U-um, I would… I would pick someone like Rickon." Benjamin stutters out. _Of course he would, I bet he doesn't know that Rick can barely defend himself. Let alone someone else._

"While I'm sure he is a fine choice, Reyna has already agreed." Alice sniggers.

"Or would you like to take it up with the Consul herself." Alice indicates to the tired looking Reyna, who is sat on a bench outside stroking a very alert looking Midnight. _Maybe Midnight should be the guard._

Benjamin grinds his teeth before storming off to Gods know where, which elicits a sigh from all three of us.

"Anyway, we'll do your ceremony tomorrow. So you have the day to yourself." Alice says, subtly inclining her head towards Reyna. On that note they walk away, looking a little pleased with themselves. _I feel like I've been conned._

I make my way towards Reyna and Midnight, and smile when they look over to me.

"How're you doing?" I ask, taking a seat next to Reyna.

"I'm still alive thanks to you, so pretty good." Reyna replies thankfully.

"You would have done the same thing." I return, leaning back on the bench and looking at the blue sky. Reyna coughs to regain my attention and holds out my watch.

"Yea, I guess it didn't do you much good. You sure your skills aren't getting rusty?" I joke, earning a punch to the side of the head. I laugh as I rub my head and look back to the sky.

"I guess you're my new boss now as well." I say deep in thought. But I do spot Reyna tense up for a second out of the corner of my eye.

"I guess I am." She replies quietly, scratching Midnights chin.

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_ Midnight asks, her voice content at being stroked.

 _"_ _I'm going to be Reyna's bodyguard."_ I reply. There is about half a second before Midnight laughs at me, and she laughs hard for about a minute.

 _"_ _And you thought that little girl was being ridiculous."_ She manages between laughs. _She was being ridiculous._ I shake my head at the wolf.

"Well then Consul where to next?" I inquire, jumping to my feet and standing to attention. Making Reyna smile a little bit.

"Home, so that I can change out of these blood clothes." She half orders, trying not to laugh.

"Yes ma'am." I reply, gently pulling her to her feet and supporting her as we walk back to her house.

 _Well at least I'm not guarding someone like Benjamin._

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the slight delay, I've been a little busy the last few days. Anyway, thought I should remind you that there is a big evil plot in the background as I haven't mentioned it in a while. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and you know the drill._**

 ** _Also I'm going away over the next week and I don't know what the WiFi situation will be like, so if I don't update that's the reason._**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Reyna POV)**

"Now we need to get you looking the part." I tell Percy, as I walk into the living room of my house. Having just changed out of my bloody toga.

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be more fun for you than it is for me?" He asks warily. I give him a small smile and head for the door, hearing his light steps following me.

"What would ever make you think that?" I grin, opening the door. _Well, it might be a little fun._

Somehow, the boy that we had made Praetor doesn't know how to put a tunic on properly. _It's like a long shirt, how can't he do it._ Percy came stumbling out of the changing room with the dark purple tunic caught around his head. His head going through the sleeve, his other arms lost in the material somewhere.

"Um, a little help please." He begs, feeling around blindly. _How is this the fearless warrior we saw fight the giants?_ The shopping assistant gives me an amused look, before walking over and righting the tunic and blushing a little when a flash of his chest appears.

He dramatically gasps for breath and looks over to me. I struggle to keep a small blush from my face as I look back.

"I thought I was going to die." He gasps, face serious but humour flicking between his colourful eyes.

"That would have been a shame." I return, trying to keep the humour from my voice. Next he is handed a Focale, which is basically a small scarf. He wraps it around his neck with confidence before looking over to me with a grin. _Is he looking for approval?_

I give him a nod, making his grin grow further as he turns back to the sales assistant, who is now holding a pair of black leather boots. He slips them on over the slightly armoured black trouser he was also given and they come up to just below his knees. He takes a few testing steps in them before walking over to me.

"These are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn. It's like walking on clouds." He tells me excitedly, dancing away. _He's like a puppy._

The assistant comes back hefting a big bag of armour. But Percy just holds up his hand to stop her.

"Don't worry about that. I've got armour covered." He tells her, earning a small smile of relief as she pushes the bag back through the door.

"I've never seen you wearing armour before. Where have you been hiding it?" I inquire, taking a small step towards him. He gives me his lopsided grin and pulls a pendant out from under his tunic. _Surely not._

He holds the pendant in his hands for a second and mutters a quick prayer. It glows red for a second, making the shop assistant gasp and take a step back. _Guess she's never really seen something Godly happen._ He pulls on the pendant and is engulfed in flames, making the assistant scream and dive for cover. I even take a half step back in shock.

But as quickly as it arrived it disappeared, leaving the imposing figure of Percy behind. His Lorica Segmentata is tight fitting but doesn't look like it'll restrict movement, he has a thick belt with metal stubs sticking through it. Thick greaves cover his legs from his ankle to his knee and vambraces cover his forearms, along with leather wraps wrapped around his hands and up to his elbows.

His armour is black and the edges are lined with gold. _It's more impressive than even my armour._ We both look at his armour in awe for a few second and he looks up with a grin.

"Well, at least it looks like Roman armour now." He jokes, before giving a little spin. I nod to myself in approval, and turn to the pale shop assistant who is shakily holding a dark purple cloak.

"Thank you." I say, taking the cloak. "Oh, and I can assume you won't mention what you just saw." I quickly add, making her nod quickly.

I walk over to Percy who is admiring himself in a full length mirror. I hold the cloak out to him, he looks at it for a second and then back at me. _You've got to be kidding._

"It's a cloak. Put it on." I sigh. He takes it and throws one side around his back, but as he's about to secure it at his neck two clasps appear on his shoulders and sucks the ends of the cloak in.

The cloak hangs down to just above his ankles and looks like there's a hood hidden in the folds at the top. He looks at his hands a little shocked but just shrugs and looks up.

"So… How do I look?" He asks, looking away a little shyly.

"Well you definitely look the part now." I say, a small smile flickering at the corner of my mouth as he flashes a bright smile. _He doesn't look half bad in Roman gear._

"What's next?" He asks cheerily, walking over to me. _That's a good question._ I quickly pay for the tunic, trousers and boots and we leave the shop, picking up a fairly bored looking Midnight.

People stare as we walk down the streets, but he either doesn't notice or care.

"Well why don't we get a bit of a late lunch and I can tell you about your new position." I suggest, heading towards the nearest café.

"Great, because we're starving." He smiles, speeding ahead. _We?_ I then notice Midnight close on his heels as they disappear through the door. _Oh yea, they can talk telepathically._ I follow them in and Percy is already moving towards an empty table towards the back of the café.

We sit and a waitress appears next to us. We quickly order and Percy turns to me expectantly.

"So what can I do now that I'm your guard?" He inquires.

"Well, as you will be a Praetorian guard you will get certain privileges so to speak." I begin, trying to think of what they'll be. _It has been so long since we had a Praetorian guard._

"From what I remember you are the sole force aloud to carry a weapon within the Pomerian Line, you are ranked just bellow the Praetors. But in times of need can take on their roles." I expand, mainly guessing. He just nods along quietly, taking in all of the information.

"You will also receive a new tattoo to signify your rank, but I'm guessing you figured that out. Oh and I think that you might get a new house." I finish thoughtfully.

"Ok… But won't that scare people. Me walking around with a sword?" He asks.

"Well you'll only be walking around dressed like that, when I'm going somewhere. Also word will soon get around, so no need to worry about that." I reassure him.

His shoulders visibly relax a little and our food turns up, effectively ending the conversation. Alice's words ring through my head.

 _"_ _It's not that we think you need a guard. But we think it'll be good for both of you. He's still broken and needs a purpose, and you need a friend that can make you smile like he can."_ Alice had said, but there was a glint in her eyes that suggested that she had something else on her mind.

I slowly eat my sandwich as the words spin around my head.

 _What else could she have been suggesting at? I guess I'll find out soon enough._

 **(Percy POV)**

(The Next Day)

Standing in the Senate house two days in a row was kind of unsettling. I have Dakota and Alice on either side of me, while Reyna is sat in her fancy chair. I'm standing in my new uniform and armour, _Thank you Hestia,_ waiting for this ceremony to get underway.

A few of the senators are looking at us with intrigue, while others glare at us. _Benjamin seems to have two or three on his side._

"Senators, we are gathered here so that we can inform you of the position we are giving Percy Jackson." Dakota call out, the senator's intrigue only grows. But Benjamin visible seethes with anger. _I bet he's got a few words to say on the matter._

"We have decided and Reyna has agreed that we will make him a Praetorian Guard to the Consul." Alice adds. The whole room is in a stunned silence as they process what they've been told.

"Why would the Consul need a Praetorian guard?" A small girl with blonde hair asks from the 4th Cohorts table. _That's what I thought._ I keep my expression as neutral as I can, trying not to show how much I agree with the girl.

"As we are all aware, our Consul was very nearly killed yesterday." Alice begins looking around the room, the expressions of everybody turning grim.

"The only one of us to stop and do something was the only one of us that isn't a Roman. Percy stood up to the threat while all of us thought only of our selves and ran." She continues, a look of shame on her face. The blonde girl nodded in acceptance of Alice's response, along with most of the senate. Now there is a fairly uncomfortable as everyone waits for the inevitable.

"Have you all lost your minds!" Benjamin cries, breaking the silence. _There it is._

"You would allow this _Greek_ to walk our city streets with a weapon in hand, and give him such easy access to our Consul. Yesterday he was being accused of attempted murder for Gods sake." He spits the word Greek like it leaves a horrible taste in his mouth. Alice and Dakota sigh in unison before turning to Benjamin.

"And he was proven innocent of those claims. By the way, we are struggling to find the victim that you told us about. Would you mind bringing her to us, so that we can question her?" Dakota asks with a small grin as Benjamin sits down, silently fuming.

Dakota scans the room, checking to see if anyone else wants to say anything and when no one does he turns to me.

"You ready for this?" He whispers to me. I give him a nod, not trusting myself to say anything that might come across stupid.

"Good, because this is gonna hurt." He grins, _What!_ Two bright flashes distract me from Dakota's statement. I turn and see Frank and Hazel standing in togas and armour, grinning like idiots.

They take a few steps towards us and stop, waiting for Dakota and Alice to walk up to them. _What're they doing here?_

"Thank you for coming my Lord and Lady." Alice says, dropping to a knee. Which makes both Frank and Hazel blush a little, before making her stand up.

"It is our pleasure Praetor. We shall watch over the ceremony and deliver his new tattoo." Hazel replies formally, struggling to keep a straight face.

(Line Break)

In all honesty, the ceremony was really boring. Just a lot of talking, I made a few oaths about protecting Reyna and not betraying Rome.

Finally we get to the tattoo, and I'm a little worried by what Dakota said.

"Percy please step forward." Frank commands, silencing the small amount of whispering in the room. Thankfully Benjamin had remained silent so far.

I take a step towards my friend a smile at them and hold out my arm. Hazel gently holds my arm and unravels the top part of my leather wraps, revealing my Legion tattoo and making her hesitate for a second when she see the hearth.

She gives me a questioning look but doesn't say anything. Frank then steps forward holding a smaller version of what Octavian had used to give me my Legion tattoo. But it looks different, it's glowing slightly and I can feel the heat that it's giving off. _Thank you Hestia for heat resistance._

The moment it touches my arm the pain is shattering. _The fucking Hades this hurts._ I fight to keep my face blank as Frank holds it there for a few seconds longer, giving me an apologetic look as Hazel holds my arm still.

Then it's over and the pain is gone in an instant. _Why did that hurt so much more than before?_

"Percy Jackson, you are now the Praetorian Guard to the Consul of New Rome Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. May you defend her from all harm." Frank finishes the ceremony, much to the obvious disdain of Benjamin.

The Senators slowly file out talking amongst themselves. Leaving Dakota, Alice, Reyna, Hazel, Frank and myself in the building.

"Alright, someone tell me why that hurt so much!" I demand, looking at my arm where my new tattoo is. It's on the other side of the trident, opposite to the hearth tattoo. It's circle with a scorpion inside it and the words 'Praetorian Guard' around the inside edge, and it has 3 swords behind it. 2 are forming an X, while the last one is vertical down the middle. _Looks pretty cool though._

They all laugh at me, making me look up from my new tattoo.

"What?" I ask, earning more laughs.

"We have no idea." Dakota says between laughs. _How don't they know?_

"It's just rumoured to be more painful, no one knows why." Alice adds. _Thanks for the heads up you dicks._ Reyna manages to recover first and looks over the tattoo.

"Well it's official, I'm stuck with you now." She mock groans, making me smile.

"Percy what's that other tattoo on your wrist?" Hazel asks, quickly drawing everyone's attention. _Well I guess they'd all find out eventually._ I give Reyna a quick look, and she gives me a nearly imperceptible nod. _Alright then._

After explaining to everyone that I am now Hestia's champion, everyone is now just starring at me a little amazed.

"Well if it was going to happen to anyone, it was going to happen to you." Frank laughs. _What's that supposed to mean?_

"So are you guys going to hang around for a bit? Or do you have to head off?" Alice asks Frank and Hazel, they look at each other for a second before turning back with smiles.

"Sure, we can stay for a bit. What do you want to do?" Hazel asks happily.

"How about a celebratory drink for my new position?" I suggest, earning a few different responses. Dakota, Reyna and Frank all nod. Maybe a little too excitedly, while Hazel looks a little mortified and Alice greys a little.

"I guess that's a yes." I cheer, striding towards the door. _Are any of us technically allowed to drink alcohol? Fuck it._

(Line Break)

Turns out going for a drink was a great idea, I didn't even know there was a bar in New Rome. Everyone's hilarious, we've been here drinking for most of the afternoon.

Frank is stumbling around a little trying to be romantic with Hazel and failing miserably, while Hazel is giggling uncontrollably at just about everything from her perch on a stool. _Aren't they supposed to be Gods?_

Dakota and Alice are off dancing somewhere. You'd think that being the son of Bacchus would give him some kind of resilience, which would be incorrect.

Reyna on the other hand is swirling the dark drink in her hand with practiced ease as she watches everyone else with a smile. _She seems a lot older than she is sometimes._

For some reason I don't seem to be as drunk as everyone else, but I can definitely feel the buzz in my head. I walk over and sit next to Reyna, she glances up from her drink and then sets it down on the bar.

"Here I thought none of us had drunk before, and there you go drinking like a pro. What's the deal?" I ask, my voice sounding a little over happy. She grins at me and I can see the light red tinge on her cheeks. _Maybe she is drunk._

"Well, there are lots of occasions to drink when you're a Praetor and now Consul I guess. As they are the only positions that allow it without anyone's consent." She explains, her voice smooth as silk and her smile triumphant. _She thinks she has one over on me._

"Well Consul, why don't we have ourselves a little wager?" I offer, a small grin on my face. The bartender and the nearest group of men look at me, sending a silent warning. _I feel like I'm missing something with their warning._

"And what're we betting?" Reyna returns, her own grin growing.

"Money seems a bit mundane. So how about a naked lap around New Rome tonight?" I offer. _Hey, I may look 21 but I'm still only 17 really._ Reyna raises an eyebrow as she thinks over the proposition. The bargain has gained the drunken attention of Frank and Hazel, who are now watching us in amusement.

"You're on Jackson." Reyna grins, surprising me really. The usually stoic and reserved Reyna, putting something like that on the line.

"Set them up Smithson." Reyna calls to the bartender, who automatically set out two tankards and fills them to the brim. _I feel like I've made a mistake._

An hour later and I'm barely even sitting on my stool anymore. But on the brightside, neither is Reyna. Much to the surprise of everyone apparently.

"Y-y-you should g-give up Pewcy." Reyna slurs, making me laugh at the way she said my name.

"Nope." I reply, with a vigorous shake of my head. Smithson, or Smithy as I've taken to calling him. Refills our tankards for our next drink. _It's like he wants me to die._

With wobbly movements I carefully pick up my tankard I proceed to empty it, and out of the corner of my eye I can see Reyna doing the same. I unison we slam our tankards down and turn to each other, to see if the other is backing out. We just end up laughing at each other. Which makes the still drunk Frank and Hazel laugh, which pulls the attention of the rouge Praetor duo.

"What's going on?" Dakota asks a nearby patron of the bar.

"The new kid challenged Reyna, they've been at it for an hour." The man whispers back to him, making Dakota facepalm and Alice laugh.

My vision begins to blur, making me reach out and grip the bar so that I don't fall. _I'm done. I've lost._

Resigned to my defeat I try and stand up, only for Reyna to tip forward and take us both to the ground. Which makes the whole bar explode in laughter, including us.

We push ourselves up into sitting positions and just laugh with the others.

 _She's so beautiful._ Reyna is laughing so genuinely for the first time, it warms my heart. She just looks so carefree, her hair in a loose braid down her back, her eyes filled with happiness, she just looks so relaxed for once. Her usual mask is gone for now.

My vision swims again and I feel my arm begin to give.

"T-that's Game C-consul." I mutter before I feel myself black out.

 _At least I got to see her so happy._

 ** _A/N: I'm really sorry for the delayed post, I got distracted with holidaying. So I thought I'd write you something quick to let you know that I'm still writing it. So I'm sorry if this seems a little fillerish, I just thought it would be funny to get some people drunk._**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and you know the drill. Till next time._**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

(7 Months Later)

Being Reyna's guard really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Most of the time Midnight and I just chill out in Reyna's living room and then we go out to meetings, or to check on the Legion and see how the defences and training is going.

I still feel a bit weird about carrying Cyclone on show when we're walking around, but people don't seem to care as much as I thought they would. I made the executive decision to keep Riptide as a pen though.

Terminus had a fucking field day when he found out I was made a Praetorian Guard, he raged for a solid hour before he would allow me through with my swords. He still complains when I turn up at the boundary.

Reyna has 'allowed' me to go and visit my mum and Lilly every other weekend, and every time my heart almost burst when I have to leave. Lilly has grown so much in the last year and she's only got more adorable in the time. She's slowly getting her head around words, and last time I visited she almost said mumma. She is one of the best things to ever happen in my short life, I just wish I could be there more.

Rickon has also been a nightmare, the whole bloody time. He struts around like he's in charge of Camp and New Rome, and he only listens to Benjamin when he's told something. Even Reyna has struggled to make him comply a few times, but he always gives in when she asks the third time. _You know what, I reckon she's the one he fancies._ It would make sense. She's the only other authority he complies to, albeit reluctantly. He always stops whatever he's doing when she's close by, be it bullying or spreading hate towards the Greeks. I've never heard him talk bad about her like he does with the other Centurions and the Praetors. _Hmm, I might have to pursue this theory. I'll ask James if I see him around._

Reyna is actually a really good boss. She's not so strict that I can barely breathe in her presence, but she's not so lenient that I can just goof off all day. She makes sure that I regularly train and usually spars with me, so that I am always in top condition.

In all honesty she's more of a friend than a boss, and I would gladly do anything to make sure that she is safe, as she has helped me in more ways than I can even count. I really don't know what I'd do without her.

Oh and I bet you're wondering what happened with that drinking bet. Yea I lost, but only just apparently. As Reyna keeled over only seconds after me, but I took the loss like a man and sprinted as fast as I could around New Rome naked. Earning more than a few glances from people walking around at night.

But what's been really getting to me is the lack of monster attacks lately. There is the odd stray monster that have been spotted here and there, but that's about it and Piper told us the same thing when we contacted Camp Half-Blood. Reyna agrees with my concerns on the matter.

Anyway, Reyna and I are currently walking to the barracks to talk to some of the Centurions about setting up some new drills.

"Percy, do you really think we will be ready for this new war? We only have two years left until it could start." Reyna asks, looking around the Camp with a little worry. I throw a quick look around the Camp, the walls are now made of stone and stand at about 20ft, and there are ballista and scorpions lining the walls. The Legion is a well oiled machine that fights exceedingly well as a unit, but still falter at solo combat. They just can't seem to get their heads around it.

I've been giving lesson to try and help, but they swiftly came to an end after Rickon nearly killed someone for making a joke.

"If they were to attack now, I don't think we would last very long. Sure are walls are high and the Legion is well drilled, but the moment they get over the walls and start to spread the lines, we'd be finished." I say, earning a sad nod in agreement.

"But hey, we have a minimum of two years left. We'll be ready when they come." I try and reassure her. She gives me a grateful smile and presses on towards the barracks.

As we enter the barracks everyone snaps to attention, and then sit back down when Reyna waves her hand. She indicates for the Centurions from the 5th, 4th and 3rd Cohorts to follow us and we make our way to the meeting room.

As we exit the communal area and make our way down the corridor to the meeting room, I get the unsettling feeling that someone is watching us. I quickly throw a look over my shoulder, but I don't see anyone. _I guess I'm imagining things._ But as they are entering the room, I just can't shake the feeling.

"I'm going to wait outside. Something feels off." I whisper to Reyna, leaning in close so that no one else can hear me. She nods and closes the door behind her, as I duck into a different door. _I really wish I'd made Midnight come today._ But apparently she's busy _patrolling_ , whatever she means by that.

I stand just inside the door, so that I can still see the meeting room door as well as being hidden from the corridor and I wait. I barely even breathe while I wait, straining to hear even the faintest of sounds.

But as 10 minutes pass I begin to feel like I'm imagining everything. _I've never disputed my instincts before and I'm not going to start now._ So I continue to wait.

After another 5 minutes I hear light footsteps come through the door into the corridor. They're too light not to be deliberate. _I wonder who our guest is?_ The steps slowly get closer, until they are just outside my door. I hold my breath and wait, I can't jump out at some poor sap by accident. I'll scare them all the way to Hades.

"Ok, get as close as you can a try and hear what they're talking about." A familiar voice whispers from just outside my door. Rickon then steps up to the meeting room door, with Benjamin just behind him. _Why am I not surprised._

"You know, listening in on a private conversation is considered kind of rude." I say, stepping into the corridor behind the two eavesdroppers. They both freeze and turn slowly towards me, its almost comical.

"And isn't that what you're doing _Praetorian_?" Benjamin hisses at me. _He really doesn't like me._

"I don't need to, I know what they're talking about." I return, my voice level and my face blank. They both glare at me as they stand from crouching.

"Oh? And how would you know?" Rickon asks sarcastically. I give him a look that screams, _are you an idiot?_

"Because I work with Reyna you dumbass." I answer him, talking slowly so it gets through his thick head. Benjamin just shakes his head next to him, _I almost feel sorry for him._

"Anyway, move on your way please. You weren't invited to this party." I say with a tone of finality, which crumples any ideas they had hidden away. They stalk away, glaring at me the whole way. Which I found kind of weird, as they had to walk backwards. _What a pair of weirdo's. What were they even trying to find out? It's not like it was a secret meeting._

I pull a chair out of the room that I was hiding in and plant myself in front of the meeting room, just in case dumb and dumber decide to try their luck again.

Fortunately they don't, and after about an hour Reyna walks out with the Centurions. Alex, son of Vulcan and Natalie, daughter of Mars are from the 3rd Cohort. They're a nice pair, Alex is kind of quiet but is as big as a truck and Natalie is a lot more chilled out than her siblings. Which is a nice change.

Next there's Ross, son Mercury and he is exactly like the Stoll's. He's almost got away with my wallet once. Along with Lauren, daughter of Fortuna, who's very kind if not a little bit odd, they run the 4th Cohort.

Finally we have Ken, son of Ceres and about as aggressive as they come but almost as devotedly loyal as I am. Then we have Samantha, daughter of Venus, who is very, very flirtatious at the best of times.

They're a nice bunch and they don't seem to be on board with all the xenophobia being spewed by Benjamin and his goons.

"Anything happen?" Reyna ask, looking at me in my seat.

"Had a couple of uninvited guests, but nothing I couldn't handle." I reply coolly, getting up and pushing the chair back into the other room. She gives me an approving nod and makes her way down the corridor, followed by the Centurions and myself.

"Hey Percy, how you doing?" Samantha ask, falling into step next to me and twirling a strand of her long auburn hair. _Here we go._

"Not bad Sam, how about you?" I reply politely, appearing as uninterested as I can. But from what I've seen, when she has a target she's an unrelenting force.

"Not bad, but I'm sure we can find a way to make our day better." Her honeyed words laced with a tiny amount of charm speak. I feel the words edge at the corner of my mind, but with extensive training from Piper I pull myself away from it.

"I wouldn't be so sure, and please don't use charm speak on me again. It won't help your case." I reply with a kind smile, as I stride after Reyna leaving Samantha looking both shocked and annoyed. _This is gonna bite me in the ass, I can feel it._

"What did Samantha want?" Reyna asks as I catch up with her.

"The usual. She used some charm speak this time." I reply, falling instep with her. Reyna gives a dry laugh and walks on without saying anything. _That was odd._ As we're walking into New Rome Terminus has his usual grumble about walking the streets with a sword on my hip.

Reyna hasn't spoken to me the whole time we walked back, which is a little worrying. _What have I done this time?_

Midnight spots us as we're walking the street and comes bounding over, and straight into Reyna's arms. _Typical._

 _"_ _What's up with you?"_ Midnight asks me, looking over Reyna's shoulder.

 _"_ _And why is Reyna upset and angry?"_ Her look turning into a glare. I just raise my hands in surrender and shake my head.

 _"_ _I don't know, she hasn't spoken to me since we left the barracks."_ I reply, making Midnight role her eyes. Reyna holds the hug for a second longer before standing up again and walking on. _Seriously, what did I do?_

"You can have the rest of the day to yourself Percy." Reyna states, without even looking over her shoulder. Her voice is a little cold and distant, but there is some underlying emotion that I can't quite place.

"Reyna, is everything alright?" I ask, following her up the street. She hesitates for a second and turns to me, her face as stoic as ever.

"I'm fine, I've just got a bit of headache and I'm going to go to bed for a bit." She replies, her voice level but restrained.

 _"_ _She's lying."_ Midnight whispers, making my look down at her. _Why would she be lying?_ But I decide not to press Reyna.

"Alright, I'll see you later then." I say, indicating for Midnight to go with her. If she really is upset, then I'm sure Midnight can help. I watch them walk down the street together, leaving me alone. _What now?_

(Line Break)

I spent the rest of the day just milling around New Rome. I walked around some shops, got some food in a café. Pretty mundane stuff really. The sun is setting now and I'm making my way home. _Maybe I'll swing by and see how Reyna is doing._

But as I'm walking a thought occurs to me. _Why's it so quiet?_ There's no one walking the streets, there aren't even any birds flying around or chirping. _Something's off here._

I rest my left hand on Cyclone and my right hand drifts to my pocket. I quicken my pace and glance around the silent street. _Something's definitely wrong here._

A blood curdling scream echoes down the street, freezing me in my tracks for a second. _Fucking knew it._

I sprint towards the sound of the scream as fast as I can, drawing Cyclone and pulling Riptide from my pocket. But as I round the corner where the scream came from, the street is empty. _But I'm sure it came from here._

I slowly walk down the street, Cyclone at my side and Riptide still a pen. _Where is everyone? Someone else must have heard that._ But no one comes to the street, and all the houses around have their lights out. I only have the light of the half moon to guide me down the street.

A loud laugh draws my attention to an alleyway about 10 meters away. I slow my pace and give the alley a wide berth, so that I can see down it without being right next to it.

Within the shadows I can just make out a couple of guys dressed in cloaks with hoods covering their faces. _Wonderful._

The hooded guys stroll out of the alley, completely at ease. I take a slight step back, preparing myself for anything. Apparently this is taken as a sign of fear, as the two guys laugh at me. It's a low thundering kind of laugh, arrogance filling the air around them.

"Look what we've found ourselves." The one on my left mocks.

"Looks like a lost little lap dog to me." The other growls. Both their voices are low and confident, like they're not expecting me to do anything.

"Who are you?" I demand, sinking into a fighting stance holding Cyclone in a reverse grip in front of me. This just makes them laugh more.

"Looks like he wants to fight brother." The left one calls out, circling around my to my left side.

"With that flimsy little thing and, what is that? Is that a pen?" The right one howls with laughter as he circles to my right. _Shows how much they know._ I grin to myself and wait for their next move.

"Are you the ones that attacked the girl a few months ago?" I ask, when they don't do anything. They look at each other for a second and shrug.

"I'm afraid not. We only arrived today, isn't that right brother?" The left one says, looking back at me while the right one nods. _These two are weird._

In unison the draw shadowy looking blades and start to walk towards me. _I guess the pleasantries are over._ I keep Riptide as a pen for now, hopefully I'll surprise them with it.

The one on the left, _I'm gonna call him Bill_ , strikes first. He lunges in quickly and slashes at me. I quickly block the blade and spin to the left, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the guy on the rights blade. _I think I'll call him Fred._

This continues for a minute. Me blocking and dodging their attacks with Cyclone, as I slowly learn their styles. Bill uses a smaller sword and seems to rely a lot on his speed, while Fred has a much bigger sword and focuses on powerful strikes. _Quite the compatible pair._

After another minute, their attacks begin to slow a little. _Game on!_

With my still relatively full reserves of energy I go on the offensive, slashing at Bill then quickly dodging Fred's attack and jabbing at him. I continue to press on them, making small cuts along their legs and arms. I can feel my confidence rising as I pull some water from a nearby fountain and smash a small wave into them, sending them sprawling.

I quickly dump some water over my head to rejuvenate myself, and wait for them to pull themselves to their feet.

"Come on lads, that can't be all you've got." I joke, giving Cyclone a quick twirl. Fred just growls at me and flies at me with a war cry to rival the Nemean lion.

He attacks with a surprising burst of speed, that's almost on par with Bill's. As I block an overhead strike the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge, and in the blink of an eye I have Riptide uncapped and blocking the strike to the back of my head that would have taken my head. _That was close._

"I knew it wasn't just a pen." Cried Fred, as they continue their assault. I block, parry and counter as fast as I can with both of my swords. But these guys are basically glowing red now and are hitting like wrecking balls, with the speed of vipers. _I got too cocky._

The occasional strike that does break through my guard, thankfully glances off of my armour. _Thank you so much Hestia._

We've been fighting for just under 10 minutes now and we're all tired, and we're all cut to Hades. My arms and thighs are covered in shallow and deep cuts. Even using water has becoming too much effort, _I need to finish this._

I quickly try and think of a plan, but with their onslaught it's really hard to focus. _I'm going to have to burn them._

I dodge under an attack from Bill and send him flying with a kick to the chest. I spin to Fred and only just manage to block a strike that sends Riptide flying from my grip. Without missing a beat I stab Cyclone into his wrist and twist it, making the shadow sword evaporate into the night.

Fred screams in pain as he looks at his mangled wrist, _oh shut up._ I quickly ignite my right arm and punch Fred across the street. Leaving a nice fist shaped burn on his cheek. He stays on the floor in an unconscious heap.

A wail pulls my attention back to Bill, who has pulled himself up off the ground. His eyes are glowing purple under his hood, _that's kinda cool._ He charges at me so fast, I nearly lose track of him and only just block the upward slash he delivers.

But then he is past me and crouching over Fred, trying to pull him up. _I can't let them escape._

I charge at Bill, pulling the now returned Riptide from my pocket and flick the lid off. Bill stands and delivers a blindingly fast stab to my shoulder and stupidly I run straight onto it. _Great work Seaweed brain._

I gasp as the shadow blade stabs just under my collarbone and out through my back. _Well this fucking hurts._

"I guess we'll be leaving now Praetorian." Bill hisses, picking up the still unconscious Fred.

"I'm sure we will see you again." He says, quickly pulling his blade from my shoulder and slashing it across my chest. _Was that really necessary?_

As he finishes disappearing into smoke all the street lamps around me and a couple of the house light blink on, and people appear walking down the street. _Was there an illusion up?_

I pull my cloak around me so that it hides the blood that is starting to pour from my chest and I stagger to the only safe place I know.

Reyna's house.

(Line Break)

It takes me about 20 minutes to drag myself to Reyna's house. Every step harder than the last, as I leave a fairly obvious trail of blood in my wake. I don't even have the strength to pull any water onto my chest wound and ease the pain.

Weakly I bang on Reyna's door and take a seat with my back against her door. _Definitely my best idea tonight. Who were those guys? How did they get into the city to begin with?_

The sound of paws padding around inside fills me with relief. _Thank you for staying the night here Midnight._ I can feel myself getting pulled towards Morpheus' realm. _No! Don't fall asleep!_ I shake my head, and almost cry with joy when I hear Reyna's footfalls. _Wait. Am I leaning against the door?_

My question is quickly answered when Reyna pulls the door open and I slam down on the floor in front of her.

"How's the weather up there?" I croak, trying to grin. Reyna gasps as she looks at my bloody form.

"O deum meum!" Reyna gasps in Latin, dropping down next to me. Her hands feel for the straps of my armour, but I just think about my armour returning to its pendant form.

My armour glows orange for a second and then disappears, leaving me in a bloody tunic and trousers

"What in the name of Jupiter happened to you Percy?" She asks, putting pressure over my chest wound while Midnight licks at the stab wound on my shoulder.

"While I'm sure you'd love to hear the story now. Can I tell it later, when I'm not dying perhaps." I reply a little sarcastically. Reyna gives me a half hearted glare and slowly pulls me to my feet.

She takes most of my weight as she leads me into the living room. _I'm going to get blood on her sofa._

She gently lays me down on her sofa and quickly runs from the room, leaving Midnight whining by my side.

 _"_ _You'd better not die on me."_ She orders, nuzzling my side. I give her a soft pat on the head and smile.

 _"_ _Don't worry, it'll take more than this to do away with me."_ Gods, even talking in my head is hard.

Reyna comes running back into the room carrying a bundle of bandages and what looks like Ambrosia and Nectar. She gently nudges Midnight out of the way and kneels down next to me.

She breaks a corner off of some Ambrosia and puts it in my mouth. The pain instantly dulls and I sigh with relief. Next Reyna tears open my already torn tunic. Revealing a long slash from my right shoulder, all the way down to just above my left hip. _Well that looks pretty._

Blood is pouring at a steady rate from the wound and Reyna has to use half a dozen small towels to even see the wound. She then quickly pours water over my chest, which eases the pain even more.

She groans with dissatisfaction when the water only stems the bleeding and doesn't close it. She pulls out a suture kit and leans over the wound. _This is going to hurt._

It only takes her a minute to finish the stitches and it actually doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. She then quickly bandages the long slash and small stab wound in my shoulder.

She finally sighs and sits down against the sofa, looking tired. _What time is it even?_

"Get some sleep you look tired." I tell her giving her a light tap on the shoulder. She laughs quietly and turns to me.

"Look who talking. But I think you're right, you can tell me your story in the morning. After we've both got a good nights sleep." She agrees, humour still in her voice. She stands and looks down at me.

"Good night you idiot." She smiles.

"Good night Consul." I reply, my voice still a little croaky. She then leans down and kisses me on the forehead. _The fucking Hades?_

I freeze, not wanting her to hit me or something. She seems to realise what she's doing and quickly stands up and blushes. She nods and frog marches out of the living room.

 _"_ _Well that was unexpected."_ Midnight says, breaking the weird silence that had fallen.

 _"_ _You can say that again."_ I reply, looking at the door for a few seconds longer.

 _It was kind of nice though._

 ** _A/N: Here's the next one, I hope you enjoyed it. So shit's gonna start going down now, just thought I'd give you a heads up. As always let me know if you have any problems and I'll catch you next time._**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

I'm find myself standing in the middle of a dark forest, with shadows so thick you could almost hold them.

"You have failed me again boys!" A voice booms, power and authority slamming into me. I quickly look around and try and spot whoever spoke, but the shadows keep them from me.

"W-we are sorry my Lord, p-please give us o-one more chance." A familiar voice stutters as it grovels, I lean around the tree I'm standing behind and can just make out two people kneeling with their heads on the floor. _What's going on here?_

"It would seem that I have to give you one more chance, as we do not have nearly enough of an army to do anything." The deep voice growls, making the two kneeling people relax a little.

"But! A price must be paid for your failure to kill the Jackson boy." The voice calls out as a shadowy figure starts to form. _It's Bill and Fred!_

"O-of course." I think Bill is the one that replies. He shakily pulls himself to his feet and sways slightly as he waits for the punishment.

"As this is your first punishment, I shall only take one hand. Which would you prefer?" The shadow man asks, a sword appearing in his hand. _He's going to cut off his fucking hand?_

Slowly Bill raises his left hand out in front of him, opting not to talk. He's visibly shaking as he waits for the strike to come. In a blur, the shadow man flicks his sword and takes Bill's hand. It takes Bill a second to register that is had happened, but the moment his eyes fall to the now stump of an arm he has he screams. He grabs hold of his arm as he falls to his knees, screaming the whole time as blood erupts from his wrist and begins to stain the grass. _He actually did it!_

"Now, tell me how everything else is progressing." The shadow orders when Bill stops screaming. Bill quickly wraps his bloody stump in his cloak and grunts as he tightens it.

"We are making slow progress. We will probably have the forces we need in about 3 years, but we should be able to start initiating small skirmishes in about 6 months." Fred informs, his face still firmly pressed into the ground. _At least we have an extra year._

"I guess that's not too much of a delay, It'll have to do." The shadow mumbles.

"Now tell me about the other Ca-" The shadows sentence is cut short as his gaze flies to me. _Shit!_ I try to turn and run away, but my feet feel like they've been cemented to the ground.

"Who would dare spy on me!" The shadow thunders, materialising next to me. Its shadowy head gazes at me, and it's really hard to tell where it's actually looking.

"It would seem you are dreaming Demigod. Oh the fun I would have with you if you were actually here." It muses, raising a hand to my throat.

"Now, BEGONE!" It shouts, grabbing my throat and squeezing. My eyes fly open and I frantically look around the room for a second. _It was only a dream, I thought I was actually going to die._

I try and sit up, but the sudden stabbing pain in my chest reminds me of last night's events. _They really did a number on me._ I look down at my chest and the layers of bandages, which are now bloody. _Great._ Slowly I push myself up into a sitting position and swing my legs over the edge of the sofa. The memory of Reyna kissing my forehead flashes up behind my eyes. _Oh Gods I hope she doesn't kill me._

 _"_ _You're awake!"_ Midnight exclaims, jumping up on all fours and licking my face. _Why's she so excited?_

 _"_ _Well yea, its what happens in the morning."_ I reply sarcastically, making Midnight roll her glistening silver eyes.

 _"_ _You've been unconscious for about 3 days. Reyna and I have been worried sick."_ She scolds me, bearing her teeth slightly. _Three days? That can't be right._

 _"_ _T-three days?"_ I stutter, shock almost stopping my heart.

 _"_ _Yep. Reyna and a medic said that it was probably due to the amount of blood you lost or something."_ Midnight tells me, her voice becoming gentle and comforting as she nudges my leg lovingly.

 _"_ _I'll go get Reyna. She'll be glad that you're awake."_ She softly says, making her way to the slightly ajar door. I look at the window and can see a little light coming around the edges of the heavy looking curtains. _What time is it?_ Slowly I bring my arm up to look at my watch, but its not there. I panic for a second but spot it on the coffee table, and sigh with relief. _I'm not sure Tyson would be happy with me breaking another one._ _I wonder who Bill and Fred were talking to?_

The shadowy figure didn't really give away who it was. Was it related to the beings power? Or was it just an apparition that they summoned up? _I still can't believe it cut off Bill's hand._ I wouldn't want to work for someone like that.

Reyna softly step into the living room and turns the lights, looking a little sleepy. Her hair is a bit messy and her eyes are half closed, _she must have just woken up._ But the moment her eyes land on me, she is fully alert. She rushes over and kneels down next to me, she quickly examines my bloody bandages and pulls out some clean ones from a bag at the end of the sofa.

"How are you feeling?" She asks, carefully unwrapping my bandages.

"Like I've been stabbed." I reply, shuddering a little as she pulls the bandage away from the dried blood.

"You know what I mean." She snaps a little, making Midnight laugh from where she's sitting by the door. I give Reyna an apologetic grin.

"Sorry. What I meant to say is that I am feeling a bit battered, but that I'll be fine." I correct myself. She just nods as she wraps the new bandages around my chest, making her lean in close as she passes it around my back. Vanilla fills my nose, along with fresh smell the air has just before it rains. _That's a weird combination, but it does smell great._

It takes me a second to realise that it's Reyna that I smell and as I look down to see that her face is only a couple of inches from mine, a look of concentration plastered across it. Slowly I can feel the heat build in my face and my heart start to pound. _She really is beautiful, and I'm pretty certain that if it weren't for her I would have died a couple of times by now._

 _"_ _What's up with you?"_ Midnight sniggers, giving me a sly look.

"Nothing." I reply a bit too quickly.

"What?" Reyna asks, looking a bit confused as she stops what she was doing. _Did I say that out loud?_

"I-I was talking to Midnight. It's nothing important, don't worry about it." I tell her nervously, looking away quickly. Midnights soft laugh fills my head as she slowly shakes her head. _Bloody wolf, she's going to get me stabbed. Again._ Reyna quickly finishes wrapping my bandages and secures it, before leaning back and examining her work. She nods to herself and walks over to the armchair next to the sofa.

"So, who attacked you?" She asks as she sits down, her black eyes slowly analysing me. I quickly explain what happened when Bill and Fred attacked me, and I tell her about the dream I had while I was out for 3 days. She silently listens to my whole story and when I finish she sighs quietly.

"Well the street you fought in had all the signs that you were there. Water was everywhere, as well as a few scorch marks. Which I told people was probably your attacker." She starts. I nod at her appreciatively at her keeping my secret.

"Then there was also a massive blood trail that led all the way to my front door. It created quite the stir when people went out in the morning." She says with a small grin. I grin apologetically and go to put my hand through my hair, but the searing pain from my wound stops me.

"Sorry about that. I'll keep it in mind next time and try not to make a mess." I joke, making myself more comfortable on the sofa. Reyna smiles a little but still gives me a fairly serious look.

"I'll tell the Senate what happened tomorrow and get more patrols set up. Just in case." She says, already planning ahead.

"Alrighty then." I say, pushing myself to my feet and immediately regretting it. My head starts to spin, and my chest feels like it's trying to kill me, making me sway a little. _This was a bad choice._ Reyna is next to me in a heartbeat and steadies me.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asks, a little bit of worry in her voice.

"To take a nice long bath." I groan through the pain, taking a small step towards the door.

"You should rest more. Anyway, the last time I used water it didn't do much." She basically orders, lightly pulling me back to the couch.

"That's because you didn't have enough. Trust me, if I sit in the bath for an hour or so I'll be fine." I reassure her, making her frown. She looks conflicted, but helps me towards the door anyway.

Reyna helps me to her en suite bathroom, as it is the only one in her house with a bath. She quickly runs me a hot bath and exits the bathroom with a blush as I start to undo my trousers. I slowly climb into the water and submerge myself.

 _Did I mention that her bath is fucking huge? You could get like three people in here._ _Seriously! Who needs a bath this big? What purpose does it serve?_ I lie under the water and just make shapes and mini whirlpools to pass the time, feeling my skin slowly stitch itself back together.

After about an hour both wounds are closed, the stab wound is only a faint scare now. But the long slash leaves a jagged scar, _I saw that coming._ But I do feel back to my normal self, which was the aim of this exercise. I quickly pull my trouser back on and walk over to the door. I lightly nock on the door, wait a second and then open the door slowly.

I peek into the room and spot Reyna sitting at her desk with a cup of what smells like coffee in her hands. I glance around the rest of the room, to see her armour on a mannequin and her spear on a rack. She has a large wooden wardrobe and a very comfortable looking king size bed, with pink bedding. _Huh, I did not see that coming._

"Your water healing never ceases to amaze me you know." Reyna says, snapping my attention back to her.

"Well, you know… It wasn't what saved me this time though, was it." I return, looking down. Reyna laughs quietly, making me look back up.

"Yea, I suppose that's true." She laughs, getting up and walking over to me. Her expression softens as she steps up to me.

"Just don't scare me like that again." She whispers. He eyes pleading as a small frown bends her lip.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I reply, trying to sound as convincing as I can.

"Because next time, I'll kill you myself." She threatens half-heartedly. I smile as I look into her eyes, which are reflecting the lights in the room like stars.

"But, wouldn't I already be basically dead?" I grin. She glares at me for a second and then smiles.

"I'd just make Nico bring you back, then I'd kill you." She grins triumphantly, before walking over to the door. _That's a frightening idea._

(1 Week Later)

It's got pretty interesting at camp over the last couple of days. Some people from Camp Half-Blood have come over for a visit and a kind of joint training thing. A lot of friends from camp have come. The Stoll's, Chris Rodriguez, Katie Gardener, Will Solace, Lou Ellen, even Clarisse came. _Of course she did._ Nico, Piper and Jason even came, taking some time off from their new jobs.

So with them included there are 50 Greeks here. _I guess it's 49, Jason isn't technically a Greek._ It's been nice seeing them all again, and really fun seeing how much Benjamin and his goons seethe with anger.

When they first arrived, Rickon challenged Clarisse to a duel. Saying something about Mars being better than Ares. _I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that._ Clarisse absolutely rinsed him, it took less than 20 seconds for her to put him on the ground with a sword to his throat. None of us were really surprised with the result.

Other than that there haven't been any fights between the Romans and Greeks, just a few comments here and there from the followers of Benjamin.

At the moment I'm practicing with Jason, Nico and Frank. A bit of one on one sparring, me against Jason and Nico against Frank.

"Have you been slacking Sparky?" I joke, dodging out of the way of a stab and making him glare.

"I'll show you slacking Fish Face!" He calls back, raising his Gladius into the air. _Ah shit!_ Lightening shoots down from the sky and hits his sword, he points the blade at me and the lightening arcs towards me. On instinct I draw Cyclone and slash the lightening bolt in half. Making both of us look at the blade in my hand.

"How did you do that?" Jason asks, walking over to me.

"I have no idea. I just kind of reacted." I reply, still looking at the silver blade in my hands. I look up and give him a shrug and turn my attention to Nico and Frank, who're still fighting.

Regardless of his age, Nico is a pretty amazing fighter and his sword scares the Hades out of me. I watch as he kicks Frank's feet out from under him and point his sword at him. Frank yields and Nico helps him to his feet, that's when they notice Jason and I have stopped fighting.

"What's up with you two?" Nico asks, sheathing his sword and walking up to us with Frank. "I slashed through Jason's Lightening and we kind of just stopped fighting." I explain to them, earning looks of disbelief. They look between Jason and me a couple of times to see if we are lying, but when they realise we're not Frank laughs and Nico looks shocked.

Before Nico can say anything else, Hades steps out of the shadows.

"Dad? What're you doing here?" Nico asks, confusion replacing the shock.

"I have come to speak with Percy." Hades replies, looking at me. _This can't be good._ He waves for me to follow him and we make our way to the edge of the training area.

"What can I do for you Hades?" I ask when we stop.

"I'm cashing in that favour." He replies seriously, his tone makes me a little nervous.

"Ok. What do you need?" I inquire, trying to keep my voice calm. He looks around nervously for a second, before leaning in close to me.

"I need you to take someone to the Hunters for me." He starts, keeping his voice low. _Why the Hunters?_

"I have another daughter. She's only 10, but she is being targeted by monsters almost daily. I don't think I can keep them at bay anymore, and her step-father is a despicable human." He continues. _He has another daughter!_

"Would you please take her from that horrible place and to the Hunters? I feel it is the only place she may be able to handle." He finishes, his voice both worried and urgent.

"Of course. I'll leave in a hour." I reply, making Hades shoulders sag with relief.

"Thank you Percy."

 **(Benjamin POV)**

(In The Evening)

 _What does the Senate think that it is doing letting those filthy Greeks into our Camp?_

"I blame those useless Praetors of ours and our Greek loving Consul!" Philip states, drawing my attention back to the meeting I'm in. I'm sat at a table with 5 others. I look at Philip, a short son of Mars. His gaze is full of hatred and disgust. _He's right though._

"You're absolutely right. But there's not much we can do about them with Jackson, basically living with Reyna." I say, leaning back in my chair. To my left I see Rickon's face grow dark at the mention of the Greek. _Is that jealousy?_

"Why don't we just kill him?" Richard, a son of Vulcan suggests. I sigh internally before looking at him.

"While that would be the ideal option, he seems to have a lot of powerful friends. We can't just run up to him and stab him in the back." I explain. Before Richard can make a reply, the door flies open and reveals a small boy panting. _How dare he interrupt._

"What do you want?" I growl at him, making him flinch with fear. _Good._

"You told me to keep you updated on Percy Jackson. I just found out that he's left camp and will probably be gone for a few days." He quickly informs us. My anger dissipates in a second and a smile grows on my face. _This is brilliant._

"Thank you, you can leave." I tell the boy, who basically sprints away and closes the door.

"This is what we have been waiting for. With him gone, we can finally take action against out idiotic leaders." I grin, standing from my chair. All the others are smiling as they watch me.

"Ok, here's the plan." I start.

 **(Reyna POV)**

It feels a little weird not having Percy around, and when he came to tell me he was leaving for a few days on a mission for Pluto I felt a slight twinge of sadness. He even took Midnight with him. But he did add a line of Greek under the Hearth on my wall before he left, saying something about making my house safer. _Whatever that means._

I take a sip from my tea and look back down at the papers on my desk, mainly just reports on how the Legion is doing and the affairs of New Rome. _Boring stuff._

A faint glow at my window draws my attention, it's too dim to be the street lamps and a much darker orange. _What is that?_ I walk to my window and my heart drops. Just at the end of my street, one of the houses is on fire. _Oh my Gods, what happened?_

I quickly run out of my house and towards the fire. _Who's house is it?_ The closer I get to the fire, the more evident the answer gets. _It's Alice's house!_ The ground floor is the only floor that is fully ablaze, but it won't be long until is spreads upstairs. _He's been gone for less than a day, and I already need Percy's help._

As I stop outside the house, I spot a person lying on the floor a few feet from the door. Quickly run up to the prone figure and pull them a few meters from the house before rolling them over. It's one of the Greek campers, a son of Athena from the looks of it. _What's he doing here?_

The Greeks are camped out near the barracks, at this time surely they'd all be asleep by now. _Where's Alice?_ I look back up at the house and pray that she's not in there somewhere. A scream shatters that prayer before I can even finish, and one of the windows opens releasing a thick cloud of smoke.

"Alice!" I call out to her, waving my arms. Her head emerges and soot on her cheek. She breathes in greedily before spotting me.

"Reyna? What're you doing here?" Alice calls to me, seemingly unworried of the fire a few feet below her feet.

"You know, thought I'd have a late night barbeque." I reply sarcastically. Others have noticed the fire and are starting to form a crowd.

"Someone go a get some water!" I shout to the crowd, and half of them turn and run down the street. _How's she going to get down?_ I turn back to Alice who has turned back to look through the window. _Is she talking to someone?_

"Alice, can you make your own way down?" I ask, pulling her attention back to me. She looks around for a second, before running off back inside. _Well that was informative._ I look up and down the street, trying to find something that could help. But no, there's nothing. _These streets are amazingly clean._ Alice reappears at the window looking a little flustered and _embarrassed_?

"Um yea. We can make it down." She answers a little shyly. _We? Who's she got up there?_

"Alright, get down here then." I tell her. I turn my attention back to the unconscious boy at my feet, who appears to be coming around.

"Where am I?" He asks wearily, his eyes slowly opening. I kneel next to him and try and look unthreatening.

"You're in New Rome. Do you know how you got here?" I ask him, helping him into a sitting position. He rubs the side of his head and winces slightly.

"No, the last thing I remember was going to the bathroom. Then it's just all black." He explains, noticing the fire for the first time. His face pales and his eyes go wide with fear and he's on the other side of the street in a flash, looking like he's on the verge a panic attack.

"Are you alright?" I ask, walking over to him slowly. He slowly nods his head, but his fear is still very evident.

"Ok, what's your name?" I ask quietly, blocking his view of the fire.

"Andrew Taylor." He tells me weakly.

"Ok Andrew, I need you to sit here and wait for me to come back ok." I tell him. He nods and slowly slides down the wall. _Someone's trying to frame him._ I make my way back to Alice's house to see her climbing out of her window with a rope. _Why's she got rope upstairs?_ When she's about halfway down Dakota appears at the window and I give him an incredulous look. _That's not what I expected._

He gives me a small smile and wave and then starts to descend the rope. They both walk up to me once they're out of danger, with matching expressions of embarrassment.

"I'm glad both of you are safe. Do you know how the fire started?" I ask, looking between the two of them. Alice shakes her head, but Dakota looks thoughtful.

"I think I heard a crash just before the fire engulfed the ground floor. It spread so quickly, I could barely react." He recalls, looking back at the house. The fire has now reached the second floor and doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon. Half a dozen people come running up to the house with buckets of water and start throwing the water on the fire. _Gods damn it Percy! You had to leave the one day we need someone with water powers._

"So… What were you two up to?" I ask with a grin and a raised eyebrow. They look at each other for a second and sigh in unison.

"I'm sure you can figure that out." Dakota sighs again, his face burning red behind the soot. I grin at both of them and look at Alice.

"So why do you have rope upstairs?" I smile, watching her eyes widen and her cheeks go red.

"N-no reason." She stutters. _Hahaha, Percy will love this._ I remember Andrew and turn and see him still sitting against the wall, shaking slightly. I walk over to him with Dakota and Alice and lightly tap him on the shoulder. His head snaps up and his grey eyes analyse me for a second.

"Who's this?" Alice asks, looking down at the young boy.

"This is Andrew Taylor, I found him lying outside your house." I inform them.

"What was he doing there?" Dakota follows up.

"I think someone is trying to blame the fire on him. Can you imagine the chaos if someone saw him running from the fire?" I whisper, leaning in close to both of them. The realisation dawns on both their faces. _There would have been a blood bath, especially with Greek campers being here._

"Am I going to get in trouble for this?" Andrew's small voice asks, pulling my gaze down to the scared boy. I smile and kneel down next to him.

"No, I saw you unconscious and you are obviously terrified of fire. So I don't see you starting one." I reply softly, which makes him smile. _But who would do this?_

"I'll take you back to where your friends are camping." I offer, holding my hand out to him. He takes it and I pull him up, I them turn to Dakota and Alice.

"I'm guessing neither of you have any issues with staying at Dakota's house, deal with this then go there." I say, making them both reply with a nod. I give them a nod and lead Andrew down the street.

(Line Break)

We reach the Greek campsite in about 10 minutes. There are three temporary cabins, just outside the barracks. Two for the campers and one for the counsellors.

"Thank you. Percy was right, you are a nice lady." He says, before quickly running up to one of the cabins and disappearing inside. I slowly walk up to the counsellor's cabin and nock on the door. After a few seconds Katie answers the door, standing in a pair of shorts and a tank top. She looks a little surprised to see me, but smiles.

"Hi Reyna, what brings you here so late?" She asks kindly, stepping out of the cabin and gently pulling the door closed.

"There's a fire in New Rome." I tell her, making her gasp and put her hand over her mouth.

"Is anyone hurt?" She asks through her hand, her eyes filled with worry.

"No, everyone is fine. But I found Andrew Taylor unconscious outside the house." I tell her, turning her expression to one of confusion.

"That doesn't make sense. We counted them all when they went to bed, he was there then." She says, turning to the cabin that Andrew went into.

"I think someone is trying to frame him. There are some people that still aren't so happy with the knowledge that there are Greek demigods, but I never thought it would escalate to this." I sigh, looking down. But instead of getting angry like I expected her to, she puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring squeeze.

"Its ok, no one was hurt. I'll tell the others tomorrow and we'll keep a closer eye on everyone." She says, her eyes nothing but kind and caring. _She's a very kind girl, I could do with more people like her around here._

"Thank you. With Percy gone, I just don't want anything to go down. He seems to be the only one that can keep their madness at bay." I say, giving her a small smile. She nods in understanding.

"Yea he's good at that. Anyway, I'll catch you tomorrow. Good Night." She says, taking a step towards the cabin door. I bid her a good night and start to make my way back home. _Who would go this far? Benjamin is against Greeks, but he's not mad enough to do this._

As I re-enter New Rome's boundary, a figure emerges from the shadows. I don't react, just thinking it's just another person taking an evening stroll. But when they start to follow me home, I begin to take notice. The person has a large frame and from the corner of my eye looks well built. I turn the next corner and after a few steps turn around and wait for my follower.

To my surprise Rickon comes lumbering around the corner. When he sees me, surprise flashes across his face. _He wasn't expecting that._

"Why're you following me Rickon? As I recall the barracks is the other way." I ask sternly. He hesitates for a second before opening his mouth.

"Reyna, I-I have something t-to tell you." He stutters out. _Does he know who started the fire?_ I wait for him to continue.

"I… we… um, would you like to go out sometime?" He stutters out. _I wasn't expecting that._ I look at him in surprise for a second and suppress a small laugh building in my throat. _Oh, he's serious._

"I don't think that would be a good idea Rickon." I reply, as kindly as I can. His face instantly turns dark as his glare tries to burn through me.

"Is it because of Jackson? You shouldn't be with someone like him." He states angrily. _Do people think Percy and me are dating?_

"No it's not because of Percy. Also, I don't really think you have the right to decide who I should be with." I angrily return, spinning on my heel and walking away. I hear his quick steps as he follows me. _He should really give up._

"No! I will not let some Greek fraud, just turn up and take you from me!" He bellows, stepping in front of me and blocking my path. _Take me from him?_

"Legionary! You are way out of line. Head back to the barracks now, or I will send you to the infirmary." I bark at him, summoning Aurum and Argentum to my side. Rickon takes a hesitant step backwards, eyeing the metal dogs warily.

"This isn't over!" He growls, a scowl on his face. _Yes it is._ I walk around him and walk the last 20 meters to my house and double lock the door, for the first time since I moved in.

Once I'm inside I let out a breathe that I didn't realise that I was holding and make my way back to my room to get ready for bed.

 _You better come back soon Percy._

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the late update, I've been a bit preoccupied trying to finish an art project. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, you know the drill and I'll catch you next time._**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

Fortunately Hades kid lives in Sacramento, so after a day and night of walking Midnight and I finally reach the city.

 _"_ _So why did I have to come again?"_ Midnight asks again, stepping around some questionable looking thing on the floor. I haven't actually told her that we will be meeting up with the Hunt on this trip, thought I'd make it a little surprise for her.

 _"_ _Hades asked me to pick up his kid called Riley."_ I tell her again, giving her a pat on the head.

 _"_ _You're not telling me something."_ She accuses, giving me a small glare. _She's pretty observant._ But I don't get the chance to reply.

Midnight freezes mid step, ears up and alert and scanning the surrounding buildings. My hands go to Cyclone and Riptide, and I wait for Midnight to do something.

 _"_ _We need to hide!"_ She urges, bolting towards an alley to our right. I hesitate for a second, but follow her as quickly as I can. _It must be a big group of monsters._

I slide behind the bins that Midnight peeking out from and wait. In less than a minute I can feel the light rumble of an army on the move. _It has to be one of their skirmish forces._ I take a slow look around the bins to see a hundred or so monsters marching down the street. _Can they just do that?_

There are Cyclops', Hellhounds, Dracanae and, _is that a Drakon?_

A Hellhound sniffs the ground at the entrance of the alley we're hiding in. _Just walk on you overgrown fluff ball._ It takes small steps into the alleyway, and slowly makes its way towards where Midnight and I are hiding. _Just my bloody luck._

My grip tightens on Cyclone as the Hellhound closes the distance between us. I'm holding onto the scruff of Midnights neck, praying to every God that she doesn't jump out and attack the beast. But thankfully the Hellhound quickly runs back to the group after an angry snap from a much larger Hellhound. I sigh with relief and rest my head on Midnights side.

 _"_ _I don't think that even we could have dealt with that many."_ I tell her.

 _"_ _Speak for yourself."_ She replies playfully, licking the side of my face. I laugh quietly and wipe her drool off my face. _I'll contact Reyna later, tell her about the small army._

Once the monsters are out of sight, we walk back onto the street and continue to make our way into the city. _Wait! Hades didn't tell me where Riley lives._

Just as I am about to complain to Midnight a small scroll materialises in front of me. _I nearly screamed a little bit._ I grab the scroll and quickly unroll it. It is a fairly detailed map of the city, with two glowing dots on it. One is green and the other is black, _no points for guessing which one is which._

But we are only a couple of blocks away from where Hades daughter should be.

 _"_ _We're really close, keep that nose to the ground."_ I tell Midnight, before striding down the street. I barely catch the retort Midnight whispers, but I laugh anyway.

 **(Riley POV)**

I curl myself into a tight ball and wait for the inevitable crack. He'd been at it for about half and hour now and I can barely feel my back anymore. As the whip tears into my back with a thunderclap, I bite my cheek so that I don't cry out. _What did I even do? I miss mum._

Ever since mum got hit by a car last year, Daniel, who had always been nice, became this monster. His newest pleasure is his whip, which he seems to enjoy using on me whenever I 'weird him out'. _It's not my fault that I'm not like the other kids._

With my long black hair, my almost black eyes that always have dark rings regardless of how much sleep I get and my paper white complexion people tend to avoid me. Kids at school avoid me like I'm death and even the teachers are a bit skittish around me, and now I see these weird monsters that no one else seems to see.

After another hour, Daniel finally stops his 'practice session' and stomps off to his room. I slowly uncurl and crawl my way to my bedroom. I climb on my bed and lie face down so that my back can heal. _What did I do to deserve this?_ Feeling my stomach rumble with hunger I fall asleep.

A light touch and a gentle voice pull me back to the world of the living. _Has Daniel gone back to normal?_ I slowly open my eyes to see a huge wolf sitting in front of me. I'm about to scream when a hand lightly goes over my mouth. _What on earth is going on?_

I turn to the person who has his hand over my mouth, he slowly puts a finger to his lips and I nod in understanding.

"Are you Riley?" He asks quietly, retracting his hand as he kneels down next to me. Not trusting my voice I nod in reply. His smile is so wide and genuinely happy, that I feel a tear come to the corner of my eye. _No one is ever that happy to see me._

"My name's Percy and I have an offer for you." He starts, his green and red eyes dancing in the moonlight.

"Would you like to come with me, and get away from your stepdad?" He asks, still smiling. I stunned silent as I watch the boys face. _Is this a dream? Because if it is, my own mind is very cruel._

"Is this a joke? Is this Daniel's doing?" I squeak out, not braking eye contact with the boy. His grin manages to get wider as he leans in a bit closer.

"Nope. I've been sent by a third party to take you somewhere safe. Well, relatively safe." He replies. His presence is so warm and comforting, that I almost instantly believe him. _Can I trust him?_ I try to get up, but the pain from earlier comes rocketing back. A small gasp escapes my mouth and Percy's expression become's concerned.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He whispers, squinting at me through the darkness.

"I'm going to turn the lights on." He says, standing up and heading for the door. _He can't see me!_

"N-no, don't turn them on!" I beg, trying to push myself up again. He stops and turns back to me and rushes over to help. The moment his hand lands on my back to help me up I flinch. He pulls his hand back and looks at it in shock and rage.

I can see the faint hint of red due to the moonlight, he turns his gaze on me and I feel ice grab at my heart. His once warm, caring and kind features are now blazing with rage. The red in his eyes are threatening a devastating inferno, while the green assures frightening destruction.

He strides over to the light switch and flicks them on and comes back over, he slowly half turns me so that he can get a better view of my back. I can feel the anger rolling off him in waves.

"Who did this to you?" He asks, his voice low and dangerous.

"D-Daniel. H-he's my s-stepdad." I stutter, not wanting him to turn this unfathomable rage on me.

"Stay here." He growls. He goes to walk away but stops. He rustles around in his pocket for a second and pulls out some earplugs.

"Please put these in." He pleads, his voice and expression softening. I take the earplugs and quickly put them in, he smiles kindly at me and walks out of the room. I sit as still as I can while I wait for Percy to return, it's not too much of a stretch to think where he's gone. _I would be lying if I said I didn't want him to hurt Daniel._

A movement makes me look at the corner of the room, where the wolf has been sitting silently the whole time. It slowly pads over to me and rests its big head on my lap, whilst staring at me with its large intelligent silver eyes. _Is it trying to comfort me?_ I hesitantly reach out and stroke it. It's long black fur is so soft that I can feel the first smile in years spread across my face.

(Line Break)

Percy comes walking back into my room after about 10 minutes. He seems no worse for ware, but I'm assuming that Daniel is in a much different kind of situation. I take out the earplugs that he gave me and watch him. His raven black hair is neatly tied up in a small bun, his 6'4 frame is muscular but lean beneath his purple t-shirt and long coat.

"Ok, I'm going to do something. It may frighten you and I'm sorry about that. But it will help your back, ok?" He says, walking over to me and kneeling down.

"Will it hurt me?" I ask quietly, looking into my lap. The wolf seems to be the one to answer with a shake of its head. _Can it understand what we're talking about?_ I slowly look up to Percy and give him a small nod, he nods back and pulls a bottle of water from a bag I hadn't noticed and unscrews the top.

"Don't freak out and I'll explain everything." He says, sounding a little worried.

"Ok." I answer him, a little warily. _Its not like he's going to fix my back with just that water._ He takes a breath and holds his hand out, I look at his hand and am immediately confused. _What's he doing?_ When the water starts to rise from the bottle and float above his hand, I have to rub my eyes to make sure that I'm not seeing things.

"What do you know about the Greek Gods?" He asks with a small smile. _The Greek Gods?_

"You mean like Zeus and Poseidon?" I reply, very confused.

"Yea those guys. To be a bit blunt, they're real and still very much alive." He starts, giving me a second to process what he just said. _He has to be mad, right?_ But looking at the water just float above his hand, it does make it a bit believable.

"And here's a little secret just between us," he grins, leaning in closer. "They still have children, and that's what we are." _I'm a Demigod? The child of a Greek God?_ I can't help but laugh at him, he smiles a little as well. Like he was expecting the reaction.

"Yea I know it's a lot to take in. I'll explain the rest once I've fixed your back up." He says, moving the water onto my bloody back. There is an instant reaction, the pain immediately numbs and I can feel the slices from the whip slowly close up.

 _You've got to be kidding me!_

 **(Percy POV)**

 _To be honest I probably went a little overboard with Riley's stepdad. But who the fuck whips a 10 year old girl?_ While I healed her back with my water, I also explained to her the mythological world.

The Gods, the camps and especially the monsters. She seemed to take it all surprisingly well, especially after laughing at first. _Maybe the water healing helped._ I told her about her father Hades and explained that laws kept him physically away, but that he did try and help by keeping monsters away and then sent me when he found out about _Daniel._

Like most she started off being pretty pissed, but slowly accepted the reasons why Hades couldn't help more in her life. I then told her about the Hunters of Artemis and that I would be taking her there, making her little face light up like a beacon.

She packed a small blue backpack and quickly followed me out of her home, and hopefully onto a much better life. _How do I find the Hunters? Should I just call Thalia? No, she'll get mad at me again._

"Why do you have a wolf?" Riley's asks, pulling me from my thoughts. _Haven't I explained that?_

"Midnight used to be one of Artemis' wolves, but she let Midnight come with me for some reason. And now I have a new amazing friend." I explain, giving Midnight a little hug.

 _"_ _You soppy idiot."_ Midnight mutters, resting her head on my shoulder.

 _"_ _Percy, I may be able to help you with your predicament."_ Hestia speaks into my head, for the first time in ages.

 _"_ _It's been a long time Hestia, how've you been?"_ I ask, completely missing the offer for help.

 _"_ _I've been ok, not much is really happening on my end. But enough of that, Hades has told me everything and I can help get you to the Hunters."_ She quickly adds.

 _"_ _That would be great."_ I reply happily, stopping Riley with a hand on her shoulder.

 _"_ _Alright, make sure that Riley has her eyes closed and I'll drop you three off about 100 meters from their camp."_ She states, but knowing Hestia I quickly just throw my hand in front of Riley's eyes before we are engulfed in flames.

 _"_ _Thank you Hestia."_ I say, before taking my hand away from Riley's eyes and look around a little.

"What just happened? How are we in a forest?" Riley gasps, spinning in a slow circle smiling in awe. I smile at her for a second, _I wonder if Lilly will be like this when she's a bit older._

"A friend of mine gave us a lift. Anyway, we're close to the Hunters camp, let's get you over there." I say, earning an excited nod from the young girl. _I hope I don't get shot tonight._

 _"_ _Which way Midnight?"_ I ask the wolf, who is already sniffing around the bushes.

 _"_ _This way."_ She orders, loping into the woods. I quickly grab Riley's hand and gently pull her after me as we jog after Midnight. I quickly look back at Riley, who looks like she's having the time of her life. _When was the last time she could properly act like a kid?_

A slight tingle on the back of my neck kicks my instincts into overdrive. On reflex I skid to a halt and bring my hand up and catch something. Riley's face is a mask of horror and awe. Slowly I look at what's in my hand, not really sure what to expect. When I see the silver arrow, I almost freak out. _Did I just catch a fucking arrow? Holy Hephaestus I caught a bloody arrow._

Midnight slowly walks back to my side and I pull Riley behind me protectively. Half a dozen silver clad girls emerge from the trees. _Great, I don't recognise any of them._

"What're you doing here _boy?"_ One of them spits. _This is not the best first impression for Riley._ I raise my hands in surrender and to show that I don't have any weapons in my hands.

"I'm helping a young maiden find her way to Artemis, so that she may join the Hunt." I reply, in a calm and level voice. The 6 girls looks between themselves, looking a little unsure of what to do. That's when one of them spots Midnight.

"That's one of Lady Artemis' wolves! Did you steal her?" She demands, pulling her bowstring back a little further.

"No, Artemis let Midnight leave with me." I return, my annoyance building. One of the other Hunters rolls her eyes at me.

"Sure, like Lady Artemis would let a _boy_ take one of her wolves." She says sarcastically. _Are they new?_

"Can you take me to Artemis please. That's where this is going right?" I sigh, growing bored of this conversation. All six of the girl scowl at me, but don't say anything as they surround us and start to direct us towards their camp.

"They seem a bit scary." Riley whispers, holding onto the back of my jacket. _Yea, that really wasn't the best intro to the Hunt._

"Nah, they're just not to fond of the opposite gender." I whisper back, but loud enough for one of the Hunters to hear. Earning myself a glare that I return with a smile. Midnight is hugging close to Riley and myself, avoiding all the approaches from any of the girls. _Haha, suck it Hunters!_

As we enter the camp, I get a mixture of looks. A lot of glares, actually it's mostly glares. But I do spot Jenna and I think I catch a glimpse of Sophia. _Where's Thalia?_

I'm about to call out to Jenna, when Artemis emerges from her tent with Thalia. I drop to a knee and bow my head and can see Riley copying the action.

"Lady Artemis, we found this boy sneaking around the edge of the camp. He claims he was showing a maiden how to get here." One of my capturers calls out. Midnight can't seem to contain herself anymore, and bursts forward towards Artemis happily. _Please don't get shot._

"Your story about being given Midnight, is looking a bit fishy right about now." Another of my captures whispers, a dangerous grin on her face.

"And how do you greet old friends?" I ask sarcastically, but before she can make a retort Artemis calls out.

"For goodness sake Percy, stand up!" _She sounds angry._ Slowly I stand up and look around. I'm surrounded by about 50 girls, _I really don't like these odds._ Thalia is smirking a little, while she shakes her head at me.

"Lady Artemis I would like to present Riley. Unclaimed 10 year old daughter of Hades." I say, indicating to the small girl, who is hiding behind me slightly. Artemis looks between Riley and me a couple of times and then sighs. _She looks a little annoyed at me, I probably should have called first._

"Girls, go back to your duties. I'll deal with this." She orders, gesturing for me to follow her. The slowly trickle back to whatever they were doing before I turned up. The ones that caught me give me small scowls before running back into the woods. _I'm still not over the fact I caught an arrow._

Riley and I follow after Artemis and Thalia, as we make our way into her tent. Artemis sits behind her desk and indicates for Riley to sit, she does while I stand off to the side with Thalia.

"How'd you find us?" She whispers, watching as Artemis explains joining the hunt to Riley.

"I kind of got dropped off. In hindsight I really should have called ahead." I tell her, snapping her attention to me. She glares at me for a second, _I shouldn't have said dropped off._

"I see. Where did you find Riley? I thought you were at New Rome." She asks, her eyes still narrowed slightly. She's curious about who it was.

"Hades asked me to bring her here. So he gave me a map and sent me on my way." I explain, my face growing a little dark.

"Her stepdad had been whipping her. I don't know for how long, but I kind of snapped when I saw her bloody back." I say quietly, looking down in shame. _I'm just glad I didn't kill him._

"Percy, in all honesty. If you didn't break this guy a little, I can sure as Hades guarantee that we would have." Thalia reassures me, making me look back up and see her grinning at me.

"Oh yea, before I forget. I saw a hundred or so monsters in Sacramento, you might want to look into it if you girls have time." I inform her, as Artemis finally offers Riley a place in the Hunt. Riley looks at me a little nervously and I give her a little nod. She turns back to Artemis with a smile and accepts the offer. _I guess my work here is done._

I begin to make my way towards the entrance of the tent.

"And where do you think you're going?" Artemis asks, stopping me dead in my tracks. I slowly turn to the Goddess and give her a small smile.

"Back to New Rome?" _Did that come out as a question?_ Artemis rolls her eyes and points at another chair in front of her desk.

"How did you find us? We only just picked this as a camping site." Artemis demands.

"Hestia dropped me off." I reveal. _There's no point withholding that from here._ She looks at me in a little shock, but quickly pulls it back in.

"Why would she do that for you?" She inquires, leaning forward onto her hands.

"Something about a favour for getting her throne back." I lie smoothly. She contemplates my answer for a second before seemingly accepting it.

"Ok, but next time you might not make it unscathed. You should really have told me you were coming." She sighs. _I probably shouldn't say I caught an arrow._

"Yea, I thought the same thing." I concede.

After the meeting I run into Jenna, who is playing happily with Midnight.

"So Artemis didn't kill you?" Jenna asks, not turning from Midnight. _Gods I'm still not convinced she's blind._

"Nah, I managed to avoid an arrow with my winning personality." I joke, sitting down a couple of feet away. _This was a mistake._ Midnight comes barrelling into me and pins me. _Great._

Instead of helping Jenna just laughs at my misfortune.

 _"_ _Do you want to get off?"_ I ask Midnight. She looks at me for a second longer and then licks me right up the centre of my face. _Well that's gross._ I push the wolf off of me and sit up, wiping my face.

"How's the Hunt been treating you?" I ask Jenna, as they both laugh at me.

"Pretty well. I don't quite get it, but I can shoot a bow and arrow pretty well apparently." She tells me, sitting down next me with Midnight laying her head down on her lap.

"Yea, I was wondering how that would work when you joined. I thought I might finally be better at archery than someone else." I joke, making Jenna grin with triumph.

"Yea, Thalia's told me the stories. I find it a little hard to believe." She laughs.

"All true I'm afraid. I almost shot Anna-" My voice catches as the memories start to flood my mind. I feel my heart constrict and my head drops a little.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories." Jenna says softly, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. _It's still so painful._

"It's fine, it's fine. It just caught me by surprise a little bit." I reply quietly.

"Anyway, I should probably get a move on before someone 'accidently' shoots me." I say, forcing my voice to sound cheerful as I stand up.

 _"_ _Do we have to leave now?"_ Midnight whines, giving me a pleading look.

 _"_ _I'm afraid so Little Lady. I have a bad feeling about New Rome."_ I tell her, pulling Jenna to her feet. In a flash she's up and looking serious.

 _"_ _What is it?"_ She asks.

 _"_ _I don't know, I just feel a little uneasy about being away."_ I say, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

 _"_ _Missing a certain Consul are we?"_ She grins, relaxing a little.

 _"_ _What? N-no, don't be ridiculous."_ I stutter, making her roll her eyes and laugh. _Bloody wolf._ I give Jenna a quick hug and say goodbye, and then make my way into the forest.

 _Where the Hades am I?_

 **(Reyna POV)**

Percy has been gone for a day and things are already kind of deteriorating. Word got out that Andrew was found outside Alice's house when it was on fire. _The fact that he was unconscious, apparently meaning nothing to Benjamin._

I've managed to convince most of the Senate of Andrew's innocence, many seeing the fact that he was unconscious and has a staggering fear of fire as enough evidence. But rumours have spread like wildfire, and some of the Legion doesn't really know what to believe. Which has lead to some animosity towards the Greeks that are here.

Which hasn't gone unnoticed by the Greeks, especially Clarisse. She's been a bit on confrontational to say the least, it's taking all of the counsellors to try and keep her from killing someone. I'm just glad that Jason, Piper, Frank and Hazel are here. People always listen when they speak to them. _How does Percy keep the peace? He doesn't even do anything but lie around all day._

I flick through my papers a little angry that I can't keep everyone from turning on each other. _Oh my Gods, it's because he's Vesta's champion!_ The realisation hits me like a sledgehammer. His mere presence is enough to keep the entire City and Camp at bay, _how powerful is he?_

I look out the window of my study to see the sun slowly beginning to rise. _Maybe Percy has a point about this workaholic thing._ I quickly slip the papers I was looking at into one of the draws on my desk and begin to make my way towards my bathroom to have a shower, and try and wash away my tiredness for the undoubtedly long day.

A nock at my door, stops me on the stairs. _Who would be up now? It's like 5am._ I slowly make my way towards the front door, rubbing the tiredness from my eyes a little.

I'm shocked to find Richard standing outside my door, blocking it like a giant boulder. Being a son of Vulcan, he has a mountainous frame from working long hours in the forges.

"Richard, what're you doing here at this hour?" I ask. His face seems fairly dire, like he's just found out a terrible secret.

"Consul, I need to talk with you in private. It's about the safety of New Rome." He urges, looking up and down the street a bit nervously. _I thought he was one of Benjamin's men. Has he come here of his own accord?_ I let him in through the door and quickly lock it behind him. We walk into my study, where he waits for me to close the door.

His gaze falls on the Hearth on my wall, and the intricate Greek writing underneath it.

"Percy did that the first day he arrived. He's actually quite the artist." I say absentmindedly as I make my way to the chair I had been sitting in all night. At the mention of Percy's name Richard's expression grows dark for a second, but is back to normal before I sit down.

"So, what is this danger to Rome?" I ask. He doesn't take a seat, but instead decides to stand just to the side of the chair.

"It has come to my attention that there are some people who are conspiring to the downfall of our City." He starts, his voice sounding a lot less urgent than it did before.

"If we allow these people to remain at large then our city will fall before this supposed war comes to pass." He continues, slowly pacing from side to side. _Supposed war? Does he not believe Percy?_

"So a few of us have taken it upon ourselves to bring these people to justice and remove them." He finishes, his eyes flashing dangerously. _That seems a little extreme._

"While I admire you patriotism, I believe it would be better if you passed the names to me so that I can deal with them." I tell him, but a weird smile grows on his face as he looks at me. _Something's wrong here._

"I believe you know their names very well." He mocks me, slowly walking around the table.

"Praetor Dakota, Praetor Alice, Praetorian Guard Perseus and Consul Reyna." He grins sadistically. I see a blur of movement and I dive from my chair just in time to avoid his dagger.

"Why're you doing this?" I demand, climbing to my feet and keeping the table between us. His face splits with a horrible snigger.

"For the betterment of New Rome _Consul._ " He laughs. It's a horrible grating sound, which sends a shiver up my spine. _This has to be Benjamin's doing._ _How did he get that dagger past Terminus?_

Slowly he circles the desk, making me circle it to avoid him. _Why is he doing this?_

"You four and your Greek loving tendencies are ruining the might of Rome. So we will kill you all and then destroy the Greek camp." He declares, jumping at me over the table. I step to the side and he goes sailing past, but now there's nothing between us.

"You've been manipulated by Benjamin, if we go to war with the Greeks we will all be destroyed when the actual enemy arrives." I try and reason with him, backing away slowly. But he is too far gone to be reasoned with anymore.

He lunges at me so fast that I don't have time to dodge, I close my eyes and wait for the impact.

Which never comes, only a strangled scream from Richard. I slowly open my eyes, to see Richard cradling his charred hand. His dagger is now embedded in the floor and the hilt is smoking slightly. _What just happened?_

But I can't miss this opportunity. I lunge at Richard while he is staring at the dagger in confusion. I drive a knee into his stomach, making him double over and then deliver a quick elbow to the back of his head.

He crumples to the ground with a groan. He goes to get back up, but when I give him a quick kick to the temple, he stops moving.

 _I hope Dakota and Alice are ok, and I could really use some rope right now._

 ** _A/N: Here's the next one. I hope that you enjoyed it. You know the drill and I'll catch you next time._**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Benjamin POV)**

"That blithering idiot! How could he have failed!" I rage, throwing my book across the room and making Rickon flinch slightly. _I'm surrounded by morons!_

"Especially after all the trouble we went through to get him that dagger." I groan, slumping in my chair. _He should have caught her completely by surprise, and even if she did put up a fight, she wouldn't have had a weapon._

"She was a Praetor. We shouldn't have underestimated her skill." Rickon says, the smallest flicker of a smile crossing his face. _You're like a love struck puppy!_

"How goes the recruitment? How many are against the Greeks?" I ask, rubbing my temple softly. Rickon looks down and shifts uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at me.

"After the fire our numbers were growing steadily. But after the senate released the statement about the boy we kidnapped, are numbers… um… dwindled to less than we started with." Rickon replies slowly, still not looking at me. _How could we lose so many people? Traitors! The lot of them._ I glare at Rickon for a second, making him squirm a little.

The beginning of a plan starts to form in my head, making me grin. I slowly rise from my chair and walk over to Rickon, who squirms more, the closer I get.

"I have a new plan Rickon." I say, put my arm around his shoulders and he flinches slightly. _Good, he should be scared of me._

"We just have to provoke the Greeks into attacking us. Then all of Rome will have to stand at our side." I grin, walking Rickon over to the door. He walks in silence, thinking my plan over before nodding in agreement.

 _Why hadn't I thought of this earlier?_

 **(Percy POV)**

After leaving the Hunters camp I found out that we were near the boarder of Canada. _This is going to be a long trip home._

 _"_ _Hey, do you want to carry me back? I'm sure it'll be quicker."_ I ask Midnight, taking a swig of water from my bottle.

 _"_ _I can't carry your fat ass all the way back, you'll break my back."_ She jokes, jumping ahead of me and out of reach. I grin at her and chase her for a few strides.

 _"_ _Are you calling me fat?"_ I ask mock hurt, as I tackle her. She gives a small yelp as we tumble through some bushes.

 _"_ _Yes."_ She deadpans, giving me an unimpressed look. There's a second of silence before we both start to laugh and I push myself to my feet.

"Am I interrupting something?" A low voice ask, making my spin around. Standing in front of me is Hades, in a long black coat and black, well, everything.

"Lord Hades." I say, dropping to a knee. He stops me halfway down, with a hand on the shoulder. _Huh, he's not like most of the other Gods._

"Percy, I came to thank you for completing this task for me." Gratitude pouring from his words. _That's a little unexpected._

"Oh, its no problem. I'm glad that I could help." I reply happily. Hades watches me for a second before smiling and patting me on the shoulder.

"It would be improper for me not to offer you something in return. So if there is anything you want, or that I can do for you please ask." He offers, making my jaw hit the floor. _He must really care for his kids more than everyone thinks._

 _"_ _What you going to ask for?"_ Midnight asks, walking up to my side. I lay my hand on her head as I think about Hades offer. _Oh, I got it._

"If you wouldn't mind, could you drop me off at my mums place? I haven't seen her or Lilly in a while, and as I finished quicker than I thought I would I still have some time." I smile, feeling joy at the edge of my mind. _I really need to ask Midnight about this._ Hades contemplates my request for a second, before nodding to himself.

"To be honest that's not what I expected you to ask for, but you always have been somewhat unpredictable. It must be the ocean in your blood." Hades says, taking a step closer and putting his hand on Midnight and me.

"I shall grant your request." He pushes us into the shadow of a tree and I feel like I'm falling. It's cold and I'm pretty sure I can hear the screams of the dead whispering in my ears. _How does Nico do this all the time?_

Then it's over, and I'm standing outside my mum apartment. _But it is a convenient means of travel._ I send a quick thank you to Hades and nock on the door. A few seconds pass and I no one answers the door. _Are they out? What time is it? What day is it?_ I look at my watch to see that it's 10am, so they should be up.

As I turn around to leave, I hear the faint sound of laughing coming from inside and then a clatter of steps coming towards the door. I sigh a little, relief loosening my shoulders. I didn't even realise that I had tensed up. Mum opens the door a little flustered, but she smiles none the less when she sees Midnight and me.

"Percy, what a lovely surprise." She says, pulling me into a hug. After a couple of seconds and a nudge from Midnight, mum lets me go and gives Midnight a hug.

"Yes, and hello to you too Midnight. I hope Percy has been looking after you properly." Mum grin, giving me a cheeky look. _She probably the most pampered wolf out there._ We're quickly ushered inside and greeted by a very defiant looking Lilly. I grin and kneel down next to her.

"Bath time?" I whisper, earning a very serious nod from Lilly. She may not be able to talk very well, but she can understand most of what we say. I scoop her up into my arms and spin her around, making her squeal with delight and her sapphire eyes sparking with joy.

"I missed you Lilly, have you been good for mum?" I ask as I stop spinning. She nods happily, almost head butting me in the process.

"But, there's no escaping bath time." I grin evilly, making her eyes go wide with betrayal. I hear mum laugh behind me, as Lilly tries to squirm out of my grip.

"Make yourself comfortable, and I'll come back through when I'm done with this little monster." Mum laughs, grabbing Lilly from my arms and walking towards the bathroom. Midnight follows me as I walk into the living room and crash onto one of the sofas.

 _"_ _When did we last sleep?"_ I ask Midnight tiredly, rolling onto my side so that I can see her. She's sitting just in front of the sofa, watching me with an amused glint in her eyes.

 _"_ _About a day and a bit I suppose."_ She replies, curling herself into a ball and looking infinitely more comfortable than me. _I wish it were that easy for me._

 _"_ _Oh yea, I have a weird question."_ I start, looking down to Midnight. Who has opened one of her eyes in response.

 _"_ _Occasionally, I get these emotions at the edge of my mind which aren't mine. Do you know what that is?"_ I ask, feeling ready to sleep for a month. Midnight looks at me with interest as she lifts her head up.

 _"_ _Interesting, when was the last time it happened?"_ She asks inquisitively.

 _"_ _When I said we were coming here, I felt joy and happiness."_ I tell her sleepily, feeling my eyes begin to close. While Midnight looks more awake than ever, as realisation slowly appears in her eyes.

 _"_ _Well, Artemis did use to say that the closer the Hunters got with their wolves, the more in sync we would be."_ Midnight starts thoughtfully. _I guess that makes sense._

 _"_ _When I was Zoë's partner her sense's increased incredibly. Her hearing, sight and smell for example. But she never mentioned feeling my emotions, or anyone else mentioning it."_ She finishes, making me smile a little at the mention of Zoë.

 _"_ _Well this just shows what a great team we make."_ I reply, my eyes finally closing and leading me into Morpheus' realm.

(Line Break)

After my short nap, I find mum and Lilly in the kitchen. Mum's making some lunch and Lilly scribbling on a piece of paper happily. I walk over to Lilly and ruffle her hair, making her cry out in dismay. I smile and walk over to mum and giver her a hug.

"Hello sleepy head." She laughs, returning the hug.

"Will you be staying for lunch?" She asks, turning back to the food on the surface.

"Yea, of course we are." I reply, taking the seat opposite Lilly. She looks at me from her high chair and waves at me. _She's too damn cute._ She goes back to scribbling with her crayons, when an idea pops into my head.

I point a finger at her small cup of water and slowly twirl it. The water slowly rises out of her cup and begins to snake around in front of her. Her eyes light up and she tries to grab the water, but I spin it around her small hand, making her giggle happily.

I start to pull the water into shapes and make it dance around her. Her awe and laughing only intensifies as she tries to catch the water. Mum slides a plate of chicken in front of me and smiles at Lilly's happy face.

"Percy please stop playing with water at the table and eat you lunch." Mum says. I twirl the water around Lilly's head one more time and then drop it back into her cup.

I spend the next few hours playing with Lilly, so that mum can get some much needed rest. It turns out that Lilly is nearly as much of a handful as I was as a child. _Haha, like I'm a real adult._

It would also seem that she has nearly endless supplies of energy, she has run me absolutely ragged and left me for dead while she plays with Midnights tail. _Great family bond right here._

Suddenly Midnight's ears shoot up and she turns towards the door. _Come on, not here!_

 _"_ _What is it?"_ I ask, pushing myself off of the sofa and walking towards Lilly and Midnight.

 _"_ _There's a group outside the door, and they don't smell human."_ She says, slowly extracting herself from Lilly. _I shouldn't have stayed so long._ I pick Lilly up and hold her with my left arm, while I flick the cap off of Riptide.

Slowly I make my way towards my mum's room, so that I can leave Lilly with her. But halfway down the hall, the front door implodes and reveals a couple of hellhounds and Empousa. _Wonderful._

I turn my right side towards the monsters and slowly walk backwards.

"Look what we've found." the Empousa laughs, walking towards me seductively.

 _"_ _The moment they pass the door, attack them from behind."_ I tell Midnight, preparing myself to protect Lilly. _I shouldn't have stayed._

The first Hellhound pounces, I sidestep it and jab Riptide through its neck. It explodes into dust and I jump back, making more space between the monsters and me. Thankfully Lilly is clinging to me like a koala, and her head is buried in my shoulder. Its not like she would see any of this anyway, right?

The group of monsters approach me slowly and thank the Gods the hall is too narrow for them to surround me.

"What's going on?" Mum asks sleepily, appearing from her room. _My fucking luck is horrible today._ One of the Hellhounds leaps at mum with a ferocious roar. Mum's eyes widen as she goes to dive out of the way, but I swing Riptide in an arc and decapitate the Hellhound. Mum looks at me in shock, but doesn't freeze like I was worried that she might.

She quickly grabs Lilly from my side and runs back into her room shouting a quick be careful over her shoulder. _Haha, that was almost too casual mum._

The last two Hellhounds approach together, one on each side of the hall. I quickly expand my shield and wait.

 _"_ _Go now!"_ I call out to Midnight. She bursts through the living room door and tackles one of the Hellhounds, while I jump at the other. I block a few swipes from its paws, before I slice one off, making it limp back for a second. _I wonder how ok mum would be with me using water inside?_ Before I can form an answer to my thought, the Hellhound leaps at me.

I quickly slam my shield into its nose, making it fall to the ground in a heap. I then finish it quickly by slashing Riptide across its meaty throat, making gold dust cover the wall. I look at Midnight, who has just finished off her Hellhound and then turn my attention to the Empousa.

"Come now sweaty, you wouldn't hurt little old me would you?" She asks, putting a ton of charm speak into her words while fluttering her eyes at me. I can physically feel Midnight rolling her eyes and it make me smile.

"You guys need to learn a new trick." I grin, making the donkey legged vampire back away in fear. _Nope, you're not getting away._ I lunge at her and slice through her bronze leg, making her fall to the floor.

She screams some pretty obscene things at me, some of its even in English. Midnight jumps and pins her to the floor, growling dangerously at her. It's a very good way to make her stop talking.

"So, why did you come here? Did someone send you?" I ask casually, walking around Midnight so that the Empousa can see me.

"Some kid told us you would be here." She hisses at me, struggling under Midnight a little. Midnight puts it to an end by putting her mouth around the Empousa pale neck.

"Who was this 'kid'?" I ask, crouching down.

"I don't know, he just said that if we wanted to find a powerful Demigod to eat we should come here." She explains, looking nervously at Midnight.

"I see, did the kid give you his name?" I press. _Might as well know who's trying to kill me and add them to the list._

"No, he was begging for his life. I didn't stop my meal to ask what his bloody name was." She snaps, glaring at me. _Well it was worth a shot._ I stand up and stretch my back out and sigh, before looking back down at the Empousa with a bored expression.

"Kill her." I say. Midnight snaps down immediately and rips out her throat in an explosion of dust.

 _"_ _How'd that taste?"_ I joke, while she shakes the golden flecks from her fur.

 _"_ _Like chicken."_ She replies quickly, taking me by surprise a little. I quickly cap Riptide and run to my mum's room. I nock lightly before entering, to find my holding mum holding a small celestial bronze knife that I had given her ages ago.

"Don't worry they're all gone." I tell her, making her sigh with relief. I look down at the floor in shame, _I brought them here._

"I'm sorry mum, this is all my fault. I should nev-" Mum cuts me off with a tight hug, I immediately melt into her hug.

"It's not your fault, so please don't blame yourself." She says, soothing my nerves. She releases me from the hug and smiles at me.

"You saved us, that's all you need to think about." She states, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. _She really is the best mum in the world._

"Still I think you guys should take a short trip to Montauk, or something?" I suggest, hoping that she'll agree with me. She smiles warmly at me and nods.

"Yea, that's probably a good idea. The school holidays start at the end of this week as well, so the timing couldn't actually be better." She tells me, walking over to a very excited Lilly. _I'd be happy to, if I got to go to Montauk Beach._

"In any case, I should go before anymore monsters catch my scent." I say, backing towards the door.

"You don't have to leave right this second do you?" She asks sadly, picking Lilly up and turning towards me. _I put them in danger, I can't stay._

"It's for the best." I say, before walking down the hall. Anger and sadness fills my chest, I can't even visit my family for a day anymore. For how great the mythical world is sometimes, it is 10 times worse all the other times.

 _I need to get back to New Rome, something still feels horribly wrong there._

 **(Reyna POV)**

After getting attacked by Richard and tying him up, I quickly ran to Dakota's house to make sure that he and Alice were ok. To my immense relief they were, and a little miffed that I had coming banging on the door at 5 in the morning.

But they immediately fell silent when I told them the reason for turning up at the obscene hour. They tried to invite me in, but I convinced them that the safest place, apparently, was my house. So we all legged it back to my house, and have bunkered down.

"So who do you think sent Richard?" Dakota asks, taking a sip from his tea. _It's a good question, and on the surface an easy answer. But I can't just start accusing people with no proof._

"Isn't it obvious! It was definitely Benjamin." Alice fumes, looking between the two of us like we're idiots.

"Of course the obvious choice is Benjamin. But there isn't any evidence that points towards him." Dakota returns, taking the words right out of my mouth. Alice growls angrily, slamming her mug on the coffee table.

"Then why don't we interrogate gigantor in your study and make him tell us." She suggests, after taking a calming sip of her coffee. _Shouldn't that just add to her anger?_

"We could try." I say quietly, looking down into my own mug of tea.

"But it might be a little difficult." I continue, not looking up. The image of what he had done, churning my stomach.

"And why is that?" Alice asks, anger and annoyance burning with every word.

"Because he bit off his own tongue." I state, feeling vomit come up my throat. I quickly swallow it down and look at the two Praetors. They look positively shell shocked, _who fucking wouldn't after hearing that._

"H-he did what?" Dakota splutters, looking a little green as he carefully sets down his mug.

"He bit his tongue off?" Alice asks, a little unsure of herself.

"How devoted do you have to be to do something like that?" Dakota whispers. The pair of them are in the same state I was when I walked in on him earlier. _In all honesty I may have screamed a little._

It was just after I tied him up and came back in to gag him, I found him choking on his own blood. After quickly force feeding him some Nectar and closing the stump of his tongue. I quickly forced him to throw up all the blood in his mouth and throat by shoving my fist into his mouth. _Which was disgusting by the way._

"Anyway, we need to figure out our next step." I start, dragging myself from the grim memory.

"We need to keep this quiet while we investigate this mess. We also need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, especially with the Greeks being here." I lay out the half-baked plan, while they nod along slowly. _People will start talk though. A Centurion missing, it's almost unheard of._

When I look at the clock on the wall, it's already midday. _We need to go about normal business._

"Alright you two, we need to try and act as normal as we can. So with all due respect, get out of my house." I say, making them smile a little. They then get up and leave, leaving me alone. _Did I ever feel this lonely before?_

I walk into my study and look down at my captive, blood covers his chin and the front of his armour. _Why would he go so far?_ Richard just glares at me from his tied up position on the floor. _It's not like he can shout at me anymore._

I grab onto the back of his armour and start to drag him out of my office, which is difficult considering that he weights the same as Mount Olympus. With a lot of effort, I manage to drag Richard out of my study and into the downstairs bathroom. I leave him in there and quickly go and clean the mess off of the floor of my study.

After cleaning my study, I quickly throw my armour and Aegis cloak on and head for the Greek campsite. _I need to talk to them about this._

It takes me about 10 minutes to quickly walk to the campsite and I almost laugh with relief when I see Nico walking with Frank and Piper, I walk up to them and earn a few hello's.

"Guys, I need to talk to all of you and the counsellors. It is urgent, so the sooner the better." I say, making all of them look at me with confusion.

"Sure, but what could be so urgent?" Piper asks, taking a quick look around for the others.

"It would be better if we spoke about this in private." I state, looking around a little nervously. Nico realises the importance of the request and turns to the other two.

"You two find your other halves, I'll get the counsellors with Reyna." He orders, spinning on his heel and marching back towards their cabins. I quickly jog after Nico, and feel the two minor Gods flash away.

"So what happened?" Nico whispers when I catch up with him.

"I was attacked in my home." Nico spins to me with a look of shock and worry. _That's the most emotion he's ever shown me I think._

"It was Richard, he's in the 1st Cohort. I'll explain the rest when we have the others." I say, walking past him. He grudgingly nods, but his expression is dark as he follows after me. _He's thinking something stupid again._

Everyone is quickly gathered and brought to the counsellor's cabin. It takes Katie a little effort to convince a little boy called Jason that he couldn't come in with her, but he finally accepted it and left.

"Alright, we're here! What's going on?" Clarisse mutters angrily. Chris Rodriguez rests a hand on her shoulder and she instantly calms down a little.

"I was attacked with a knife last night." I start, earning a collective of gasps.

"Where?" Jason asks, turning serious.

"In my house." I say, making Jason, Frank and Hazel look at me in shock.

"But that should be impossible, right?" Will Solace asks nervously, looking around each of us.

"Yes, it should be. Especially for a Demigod!" Frank says, creating a somewhat depressed mood.

"So where is this would be assassin now?" Travis Stoll asks, earning a small nudge from his Connor.

"Tied up in a bathroom in my house." I say, earning surprised looks from just about everyone except Nico.

"But the weirdest thing happened when he attacked me. In all honesty I should have died last night, but as his knife was about to hit me he dropped it. Almost as if it was burning him." I tell them, hoping that someone will have an idea of what happened. But when they all look at me in confusion, it is evident that they don't get it either.

"Anyway, I came here to warn you that whoever attacked me may start targeting you guys." I start, everyone turning serious.

"Now, they won't be stupid enough to attack you outright. But I bet they will try something to cause friction, or maybe an attack from you." I continue, looking at each of them in turn.

"They have already tried, we've had a few close calls. But we'll keep that in mind and try and keep all confrontations to a minimum." Katie states, throwing a quick glance at Clarisse, Who just grunts in agreement. _Katie_ _is surprisingly calm about this, I thought she would be more of a panicer._

We quickly disperse after the meeting and as I'm leaving the cabin in walk into the little boy Jason.

"Sorry." I quickly say, looking down at him. He just smiles at me and holds up a small flower.

"It's ok, do you want this?" He asks, holding the flower closer to my hand. I smile at him and take the flower form his small hand.

"Thank you, it's very pretty." I say, looking at the flower for a second. He beams at me in delight, and runs around me when Katie comes out of the cabin. Katie smiles at him and takes his hand as they walk off somewhere. _I could see them being siblings._ I start making my way back to the city.

 _We need to get a handle on this situation._

 **(Percy POV)**

After leaving mum's the realisation of trying to get back to New Rome finally sets in. _How the Hades am I supposed to get back without walking?_ The thought hasn't seemed to have crossed Midnights mind, as she trots alongside me sniffing just about everything.

 _"_ _You really act like a dog sometime you know."_ I tell her. She growls quietly at me, making a near by man jump with fright.

"You should really have that animal on a lead." He grumbles, glaring at me.

"Feel free to try and put one on her, I'll wait." I smile, stepping to the side. Allowing Midnight to properly glare at him, and he basically runs down the street.

 _"_ _What a rude man."_ Midnight huffs.

 _"_ _Yea, but I doubt we'll be seeing him again."_ I laugh, giving her a pat on the side. _It's nice having a companion._ I look down the street, still trying to figure out a way home.

 _"_ _Hey Hestia, how's that taxi service going?"_ I call out on a limb, hoping that she's listening. We continue to walk down the street, as I wait to see if she replies.

 _"_ _You know I'm pretty sure most would take that as an insult."_ She replies a little too cheerily. I grin and roll my eyes as I duck into an alleyway with Midnight.

 _"_ _Yea I'm sure they would. But I was wondering, if you're not too busy, if you could drop me back at New Rome."_ I ask, hoping that she's not busy.

 _"_ _Sure, give me a minute."_ She says, before immediately appearing in a flurry of flames. _That took much less time than a minute._ Hestia gives Midnight a warm pat on the head and smiles at me.

 _"_ _You could have warned me that she was coming!"_ Midnight says happily, leaning into Hestia's hand.

 _"_ _It all happened so quickly, I didn't have time."_ I kind of lie. True I could have told her that I was asking for help, but where's the fun in that.

"So, shall we get going? Or are you two still chatting?" Hestia asks, with a small grin. _She can tell when we're talking?_

"Yea, let's go." I grin happily, I've missed New Rome a lot these couple of days. _But maybe not so much New Rome itself._

Hestia lays her other hand on me and we disappear in a burst of flames. They're so warm and calming that I could actually go to sleep right now. But, like most good things, it comes to an end.

We reappear just outside my house, the house I got for being a Praetorian Guard. It's a little bigger than my last house and only two houses down from Reyna's house, but that's not really important. What's important is that I can smell a whiff of smoke on the air. _Did something get burned?_ I quickly look down the street and see the remains of Alice's house. _Fuck! Her house burnt down, I hope she's ok._

I turn and walk towards Reyna's house, hopefully to find out what caused the fire. I walk up to her door and knock, before trying to open the door. _It's locked, that's new._

 _"_ _Has Reyna ever locked her door before?"_ I ask Midnight, knocking on the door again.

 _"_ _Not that I can recall."_ She replies thoughtfully. I'm about to go looking around for her, when I hear a bolt slide from behind the door. _So she is in._ Reyna slowly opens the door, acting a bit too cautious for my liking. _Did something happen in the day and a half that I was away?_

"Percy, you're back!" She almost cries throwing the door, her face the picture of relief. _That's not the reaction that I was expecting._

"You're not going to believe what happened while you were gone." She says, grabbing my arm and pulling me into her house. She quickly closes and locks the front door and then drags me to her study. _It smells like disinfectant in here. Where did Midnight go?_

Reyna pushes me into the chair in and then walks around the desk before sitting in her chair.

"Ok, so what happened?" I ask, a little worried about what she might say. She takes a deep calming breath before explaining what had happened.

(Line Break)

 _I'm not gonna lie, when she told me that she got attacked. I nearly flattened New Rome._ But I managed to keep my emotions in check when she reassures me that she is fine. When she's done explaining I'm angry, disgusted and a little nauseous. _Biting off his own tongue is a bit much._

I lean back in my chair and rub my face with my hands. _How could all this happen in basically a day, it's almost like it was planned for when I wasn't here._ I shoot upright in my chair, _planned for when I wasn't here? That would make sense._

"Percy what is it?" Reyna asks, giving me a curious look.

"Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that this all happens the days I'm not here?" I ask her, but she looks like she's already thought of that.

"There would be no point in starting a fire when you're here, you'd put it out almost immediately. There would also be little point attacking me when you're here, as either you or Midnight are near by most of the time." She explains, looking very tired. _She should get some sleep._

"I also don't understand why Richard dropped his knife. By all accounts I should be dead right now." She says, glancing at a point on the floor. _I'm guessing that's where he bit his tongue off._

"That would be my doing." I inform her with a smile, while she looks at me warily. I point at the hearth on her wall, and she just looks more confused.

"You know how I said I could stop people from listening in. I can also set rules for my sanctuaries, so I set a no fighting one in here. It must have taken a while to activate, as it was the first time being used." I explain. Understanding fills her eyes, as she mutters 'that's what you meant.' I don't really know what she's talking about, but I nod along.

"For now, why don't you get some sleep? You look like you're about to drop." I suggest, standing and walking around to her chair. She rubs her eyes and nods, letting me pull her to her feet and lead her towards her room. I basically carry her upstairs to her room, as all her energy seems to instantly drain at the mention of going to sleep. _I bet she's been pulling all nighters again._

"Will you stay with me?" She asks quietly. I look down and see her eyes are struggling to stay open, I smile as I pick her up bridal style, so that she doesn't trip on the stairs.

"Of course." I reply softly, making her smile as she snuggles closer into my chest. I climb the last few steps and take the first door to the right and enter her bedroom. I flick the light switch on with my elbow and carry her over to her bed.

I sit her down on the side of her bed and she sways all over the place. _She basically asleep already._

"Reyna, you need to take your armour off. It won't be very comfortable to sleep in." I tell her softly, making her quietly groan in annoyance. I quickly unclip her cloak as she sleepily reaches for the buckles to undo them.

I takes her a good 20 seconds to undo one, so I decide to take over and undo the rest and slip her armour over her head. Now only in her toga I pull her duvet back and gently lay her down, but, as I'm about to stand back up, she leans forward and her lips gently press against mine.

It's only for a second, but in that instant my mind goes blank and joy fills my chest as my heart begins to race. She lays her head on the pillow, with a small smile and speaking gibberish. _Did she mean to do that?_

Slowly regaining my bearings, I make my way to the door and close it behind me. _I don't mind if she meant to kiss me or not, or if she was falling into delirium. I'm literally hitting cloud nine at the moment, I really had no idea she would have this affect on me._

With a smile on my face I make my way downstairs and stop out side the bathroom. I take a deep breath to settle my euphoric emotions and I walk into the bathroom, to see Richard curled up by the toilet.

When his eyes fall on me, they go wide with fear and he renews his efforts to escape his bindings.

"Hello Richard, you and I are going to have a chat. I don't care if you don't have a tongue, I will find out who sent you and why." I say, making his face pale.

 _I'm not one for torture and I'm not going to do anything to him, but he doesn't need to know that._

 ** _A/N: Sorry this one took a while, I've been called into work more than usual this week. So I was only able to work on it a little at a time. I hope you enjoyed it, and you all know the drill. I'll catch you next time._**

 ** _Also, I don't know if any of you watch Game of Thrones. But I just watched the newest episode (S7, e6) it was amazing. If you don't watch the show I really recommend it._**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: This chapter is long as fuck. You've been warned.**

 **(Percy POV)**

After a short conversation with Richard, I found out that he is fanatical about this anti Greek cause. _How did I find this out you ask?_ I made him write it down. As for everything else he wrote down, none of it was useful. He wouldn't tell me who put him up to it, what other plans they have or if he even cares about what he tried to do. _He doesn't by the way._

I leave Richard feeling a little disheartened and make my way back upstairs. I still don't understand how people like Richard work, can't he tell that he's just being used. I quietly peek into Reyna's room and see that she is sleeping soundly, curled under her duvet. I smile and close the door silently, _she looks pretty cute when she's asleep._

I walk into the guest room, pull the chair from the desk just outside the door and sit down and wait for her to wake up. _No one is getting near her again, not while I still breath._

Over the next few hours I really have time to think everything over. The fire, the attack, the attacker who now doesn't have a tongue and that kiss with Reyna. _Does she have feelings for me? If it was in fact intentional. Gods, I hope it was. I didn't even realise that I felt this way about her._

My emotions are going kind of haywire over the whole thing, part of me loved every second of it and is kicking me for not realising sooner that I liked Reyna. A much smaller part of me is still trying to cling to Annabeth. _Is it time to try and let go of her?_

A few minutes later, I hear Reyna's light footsteps coming towards the door.

"Have a nice nap?" I ask when she opens the door. She looks a little confused when she looks at me and wipes some sleep from her eyes.

"You're actually here. I thought it was a dream." She replies, still sounding a little sleepy. I stand and give her a wide smile.

"Yep, I'm actually here. Not a dream." I laugh a little. She flashes a beautiful smile at me and goes to walk downstairs, before freezing mid step. _She remembered._

"Wait, are you saying that everything that happened when you got here happened?" She asks, the realisation slowly coming to her.

"That depends on what you think happened." I joke, walking down the stairs ahead of her. I can basically feel her face turning red with embarrassment. She slowly follows me down the stair, looking as if she is desperately trying to differentiate between reality and dream.

We walk into her kitchen and she still hasn't said word yet, and I really can't tell if she angry, upset or embarrassed. _Maybe it's all three, that wouldn't be terrifying._ We both take a seat at her breakfast bar and I wait for her to say something. _I don't really understand how there are electrical appliances here. Are there like secret generators or something? Shut up ADHD!_

Eventually Reyna sighs and looks at me, her cheeks still a bit red. Her black eyes drawing me into their unknown depths and making my heart quicken. _I haven't felt like this for a while._

"Did I kiss you before I fell asleep?" She asks a little timidly. _I had no idea she could act like this._ Hearing her sound so timid and innocent, takes me completely off guard. All the teasing and jokes I had planned are immediately replaced with a shy knot in my stomach, as I feel my own cheeks start to turn red.

"Well… Um… Yea, I guess you could say that." I reply, struggling to find the right thing to say. She looks at me for a second longer and then looks down, smiling a little.

"I should have known it wasn't a dream." She starts quietly, still looking down at her hands with a small wistful smile. I look at her a little confused. _What does she mean?_

"If it was, you wouldn't have frozen when I kissed you." She continues, barely even whispering now. _Has she dreamt about me before?_

"I'm sorry. If I made you feel uncomfortable I'm sorry, I really hope that it won't make things weird between us." She finishes, starting to look a little disheartened. I place my hand on her hands and smile as she looks up at me.

"Reyna it didn't make me feel uncomfortable, if anything, I'm pretty sure I felt great." I tell her, making her face perk up a little bit. _Well, until my mind went blank I was._

"I won't lie to you Percy. I think I've come to really like you, and not as a friend." She states a little bluntly. _Not gonna lie, I didn't expect her to be so blunt. But hearing her actually say the words makes me feel all warm inside._

"I'm a little surprised if I'm honest Reyna." I say, after thinking for a second. Her face drops into a frown. _Am I that dense that I didn't notice her feelings? Or my own._

"I had absolutely no idea how you felt about me, and I feel like an idiot for not realising sooner. But I think what surprised me the most, is that I had no idea that I feel the same way." I continue, making her frown turn to surprise. _Of course I do, she's beautiful, smart, kind and a little terrifying. What else could you possibly want?_

"I think in a part of my mind I've known for a little while now. It just didn't click until you kissed me." I finish, her eyes beginning to sparkle a little. _It's like I'm looking at the stars._ She gives the biggest smile I think she's ever worn and crushes me into a hug, which makes us fall off of our seats.

Happiness crashes through my chest, as we hit the floor. In a way it hasn't since before Annabeth died. _How could I have been so blind?_ I smile as I run a hand through her long hair and look down at her position on the floor next to me. She looks up her eyes filled with so much happiness, and an even bigger smile on her face.

"What does this mean then?" She asks quietly, but the hopefulness is unmissable.

"In all honesty I never thought I would feel this way about anyone ever again." I start my voice quavering a little bit.

"But if you're willing to have someone like me, I'm all in. Because without realising it, I've fallen for you Consul." I say, my voice levelling out as I look into her eyes. She looks a little thoughtful for a second, which makes me worry a little bit.

"I think I'll take you up on that." She replies with a grin. _Did she take that second to make me worry on purpose?_ I almost laugh at the fact that I fell for it. I lean down slowly and gently kiss her. My mind goes blank as I melt into the kiss, heat building in my chest. Just as the kiss is getting more heated and passionate, a small laugh enters my mind. _Oh, come on!_

We break apart and I turn towards the door and see a very amused Midnight sitting by the door to the kitchen.

 _"_ _Should I come back?"_ Midnight giggles, tilting her head comically. Reyna leans up and looks over my body, her whole face turns red as she drops down, trying to hide behind me.

 _"_ _You could have just left you know. Also, how did you get in the house?"_ I ask, both annoyed and curious. She trots over and sits down next to us.

 _"_ _I have my ways."_ She replies mysteriously, but I just shake my head at her.

 _"_ _A window was open wasn't it?"_ I deadpan, making her glare at me a little.

 _"_ _Yea, the sliding balcony door to Reyna's room was open."_ She concedes. She looks at Reyna with a large wolf grin, before trotting out of the room.

 _"_ _Have fun!"_ She calls out before leaving the room. I sigh, before rolling onto my side and in turn, turning towards Reyna. I lightly lean my forehead against hers and laugh quietly, she joins in and I give her a quick kiss before climbing to my feet and helping her up.

 _I doubt anything could bring me down right now._

(A Week Later)

This last week has been absolutely amazing, if you don't think about the horrible tension between the Greeks and some of the Romans.

Reyna and I decided that we should keep our relationship to ourselves, at least until everything calms down. _I'm thankful that Midnight can't talk to anyone else in the City._

It's been great with her, she may not show it very often to others, but she is so caring, affectionate and surprisingly gentle. _It really threw my through a loop at first._ But, for now at least, we've decided to take it slow. No need to rush things _when you have eternity, so what's the harm?_

We sneak away from work whenever we can, which is relatively easy considering we work together. Disappearing to the nearby hills, going on secret dinner dates under the guise of a business meal. _It's always easier to hide things in plain sight._

But on a different note, the Greek campers are leaving today. So if any last ditch attacks were going to happen it would be now, as they're leaving. I walk up to Jason and give him a light tap on the shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that something will definitely happen.

"Hey Perce, what's up?" He asks, turning around to face me.

"I have a bad feeling that something's going to happen." I start, looking around at the crowd that has gathered.

"Can you keep an eye out until you flash everyone away?" I ask. He nods without hesitation and walks over to Piper, whispering something in her ear. As I turn to walk back to Reyna's side, I spot Katie looking a little frantic. I quickly walk over to her, fearing the worse. _Whatever that could be._

"Katie, what's up?" I ask, trying to sound as calm as possible. _Even though she's worrying me a little._

"Percy, it's Jason." She starts, trying to calm her breathing.

"Jason's over there, I just spoke to him." I tell her, a little confused.

"No, not Jason Grace. Jason Green, the boy that you sent to camp a while ago." She snaps, taking me by surprise a little. _I don't think I've ever heard her angry before, it's kind of scary._

"Oh, he was here? I didn't see him when I was walking around." I tell her, making her smile a little.

"Yea, he's usually with me. I never thanked you for bring me a new brother, and he feels so much more like family than the rest of the cabin." She smiles, before shaking her head and turning serious again.

"But that's not important right now. I can't find him anywhere, I've been looking for him for the last hour." She says urgently. _No, they wouldn't have taken him. Would they?_ I grab her shoulder to pull her from her panic stricken mind and give her a small smile.

"Ok, here's what we do. I need you to act as normal as you can, we can't have anyone knowing there's a problem." I order, but as she's about to interrupt me I hold my hand up.

"I'll look for Jason and if anyone asks, it's a lot easier for me to say I'm doing something for Reyna than for you to come up with something." I explain, as her face turns to one of confusion.

"We don't know who we can trust at the moment, and if you wander off and something happens it'll be easy for them to blame you." I whisper, quickly looking around to make sure no one is around to hear. She slowly nods in agreement and I direct her back towards the other campers getting ready to leave. I quickly walk over to Reyna, who is watching everything with steely eyes. Eyes that soften the moment she sees me approaching.

"We have a problem." I whisper, leaning in close to her ear. She sighs a little, before turning to me.

"What do you need?" She asks, looking around cautiously.

"Time. There isn't enough time to explain, but I need to find someone." I quickly reply, with a hushed voice.

"And if people ask where you're running off to?" She asks.

"I'm sure you can think of something." I grin, making her roll her eyes. I quickly kiss her on the cheek before running off, catching the faint hint of a blush on her cheeks.

 _"_ _Midnight, I need your help."_ I call out, and in less than 10 seconds she running alongside me.

 _"_ _Why are we running?"_ She asks, intrigue filling her voice.

 _"_ _Do you remember the first boy we sent to Camp Half-Blood? I think he's been taken, we need to find him."_ I inform her, not slowing down as we run past an angry looking Terminus.

 _"_ _His name was Jason right?"_ She recalls, I smile at her wonderful memory and skid to a halt. _Now if my hunch is right, they'll be keeping him in the City rather than the camp or barracks. There are a lot more hiding places in the City, than in the barracks._

 _"_ _Yea, I need you to try and sniff him out."_ I tell her, looking up and down the street.

 _"_ _I'm not a bloodhound you know."_ She huffs, sniffing the air around her. I laugh at her remark but keep my mouth shut, wanting to avoid getting bitten or clawed.

(Line Break)

It takes her a minute but Midnight's head finally snaps up.

 _"_ _I've got it."_ Is all she says before she takes off down the street at full pace. _Does she not realise that I'm not a Hunter sometimes?_

I do my best to keep up with her, but she is slowly getting away from me. She leads me past the Forum, around the Circus Maximus and back out over the Pomerian Line before she stops. I come to a stop next to her breathing hard and thankful that my armour is fairly lightweight.

Standing about 30 meters away, somewhat hidden away in the shadow of Temple Hill is a small shed.

 _"_ _He's in there."_ She says, slowly walking towards the shed. _She remembered his scent, I should give her something nice later._

 _"_ _Have I ever told you that you're awesome?"_ I ask quietly, sneaking along with her.

 _"_ _It could stand to be mentioned more often."_ She jokes. I rest my hand on Cyclone as we sneak closer to the shed.

 _"_ _I hear voices."_ Midnight whispers. _So they have people watching him._ We sneak up to the door and I wait just to the side. I can now hear the voices that Midnight mentioned and strain to hear what they're saying.

"It shouldn't be long now, there will be accusations flying around and then weapons will be drawn." A voice exclaims with malicious joy. _He sounds like he's gunning for world peace._

"What do we do with this little Greek worm anyway?" Another voice asks, obviously a little bored.

"Rickon told me that our orders are to hold him for now, but we will be executing him later. An offering to the Gods for good fortune in the war." The first voice says, sounding extremely eager for the end of the plan. _So Rickon is involved, but who's giving Rickon the orders?_

 _"_ _I think we've heard enough."_ I say, stepping in front of the door and kicking it open.

"Knock, knock, shit heads." I shout, stepping through the door with Cyclone drawn. What I see makes my blood boil. Jason is tied up in the corner looking bruised and bloody, his hazel eyes that were once bright and happy, are now dark and tired.

I look at the two guys in the room and a deep growl escapes my throat, and I can feel my tattoo beginning to heat up. _How. Dare. They!_

"Praetorian, is there something we can help you with?" The more radical sounding of the two asks sarcastically. As his face contorts into an evil sneer, while the other looks at me wide-eyed and a little pale.

"Why're you doing this?" I growl, taking a slow step forward.

"For the glory of Rome of course." Mr radical says, grabbing the hilt of his Gladius.

"What're your names?" I bark, barely containing my anger now.

"I am Philip Fox, son of Mars. This is Adam Humphrey, also a son of Mars." The now named fanatic laughs. _How can he be so twisted?_ Midnight steps through the door behind me and takes her spot next to me, making Philip flinch a little. _Good, you should be very afraid. But not of her._

 _"_ _Go and get Reyna, I'll deal with these monsters."_ I tell her, trying not to snap at her. She looks up at me, but doesn't argue as she runs out the door.

"Did we scare your little she-wolf _Praetorian?"_ Philip sniggers, drawing his Gladius arrogantly. _I'm going to crush you like the rat you are._

Adam stands up and slowly draws his Gladius, looking unsure of himself. I pull Riptide out of my pocket and flick the cap off with my thumb, making it extend with its familiar shink.

I take a slow step towards them and the ground shakes violently, making Philip stagger and Adam fall to the floor. I finally release all of my anger and feel all of my power explode.

 _They're going to regret this day for the rest of their miserable lives!_

 **(Reyna POV)**

After Percy kisses me on the cheek, my heart flutters and I can feel my cheeks heat up slightly. _So much for keeping it to ourselves._ I quickly look around to see if anyone saw him kiss me and sigh internally when it looks like everyone's attention is still on the Greeks. Some of who are actually hugging and saying goodbye to their Greek siblings, while some others look at them cautiously. _Well it's better than attacking them._

"Where did Percy go running off to?" A voice asks from behind me, I turn and see Dakota. _It's odd to see him without Alice._

"Oh, he said he had an errand to run." I lie smoothly, making him look after Percy's retreating form.

"That boy is still such a mystery isn't he? He's been here for just over a year now and I feel like he still has so many secrets." He sort of mutters to himself. _You don't even know the half of it, he still hasn't told me what his occasional nightmares are about._ But I just nod along with Dakota.

"Where's Alice?" I ask him, looking around at the crowd.

"She's around somewhere, why?" He replies.

"It's just weird not seeing you two together." I grin, making him blush a little. _I still need to tell Percy about these two._ Dakota tries to form words, but nothing comes out of his mouth, which makes me laugh a little. Will Solace and Nico come jogging up to me and look between Dakota and me, emphasising that they want to speak in private. Dakota gets the message, smiles and walks of towards the crowd.

"What's up with you guys?" I ask them, already guessing what they are here to talk about.

"Katie told us where Percy went, and we want t help." Nico whispers, looking more dire than usual. _Yea, I knew it._

"I'm afraid there isn't much you can do. I don't know where he is, and we don't want to cause any panic by running off." I whisper back, making them both look down in annoyance.

"At most I think we can wait another 5 minutes before people notice that we're stalling." Will says, looking back at the collection of Greeks who are packing up the remains of their gear.

"Then all Hades will break loose." He adds, making Nico tut at him.

"Don't use my dads name for things like that." Nico mutters angrily, making Will smile at him apologetically. Nico's eyes narrow slightly as he looks past me, he even leans to the side a little.

"Is that Midnight?" He asks, making me turn and look at the approaching streak of black. I'm about to walk towards her when the ground starts to shake. _Oh Gods, please tell me nothing major has happened._ Midnight comes running right up to me, grabs my cloak and starts to pull me away.

"Get the Praetors, Frank and Hazel, tell them what's going on. They'll keep the Romans in check." I quickly call over my shoulder, seeing Nico disappear into the shadows, as Will sprints off. _I hope._

Midnight leads me towards Temple Hill and the tremors only get worse. I can see water lifting from the lake and collecting somewhere behind the hill. _This isn't good._ We round Temple Hill and I spot a small shed, which has a ton of water collected above it. Circling like some kind of Hawk, occasionally shooting down through the now nonexistent roof.

The tremors are so bad now that I can barely keep my footing as I try and get closer. Through the door of the shed I can just make out a figure, their right arm and shoulder a blazing inferno. _That has to be Percy._ He looks like he's fighting someone, if playing with them is considered fighting. _I need to stop him before he kills someone._

It takes me 5 minutes to finally struggle to the door of the hut. I quickly look around to see what triggered Percy's rage. There's one body on the floor, he's wearing Legion armour, but I can't figure out who it is with the sizeable bruise growing on the side of his face and he has blood flowing from a fair few cuts on his arms and legs. I continue to look around the room and spot a small and very beaten boy.

His face is lumpy from bruises and he has a cut lip and eyebrow, which are bleeding steadily. _That's what triggered this, I don't blame him at all. Only monsters could do that to a little boy._

I turn my attention back to Percy, who is dancing with ease through the sloppy strikes of, _is that Philip?_ The son of Mars looks incredibly beaten up. He's bleeding from a few cuts, along with a few burns and bruises. As Percy pirouettes I catch a glimpse of his face, and it frightens me. His face is the mask of calm and collected, it's his eyes that send a sliver of fear down my spine. The Crimson ring is burning with the intensity of the sun, while the sea green looks like a maelstrom. Both promising unbridled destruction.

He strikes Philip in the side with a burning punch, making Philip fall to his knees struggling to breathe. Where as Percy barely looks like he's barely made any effort.

Percy stands over Philip, his cloak billowing around him as the flames on his arm slowly grow. Percy looks down at him with cold, dangerous eyes and holds Riptide to his throat. _I need to stop him before he does something he regrets._

I quickly run up to Percy and wrap him in a hug, careful to avoid the flames on his arm.

"Percy, please stop." I whisper into his ear, and the tremors and flames instantly die. He slowly turns to me with a look of sorrow and regret.

"I… I'm sorry, I kind of lost control there." He says weakly, looking down at me with his now calm and beautiful eyes.

"It's ok, it's ok. Let's just get him out of here." I reassure him, earning a small nod in response. But as I go to walk away his arms quickly wrap around me and squeeze me tight for a few seconds longer.

"Thank you." He whispers before letting go and walking over to the small boy.

"Hey Jason, it's ok now." He says softly, slowly untying the rope binding Jason. Jason slowly opens one of his eyes and starts to tear up when he seem Percy.

"Percy, I knew you would come." He says weakly. Percy smiles in response and pulls a ball of water from the water that's still floating over us.

"Of course little man." Percy replies, passing the water over Jason's injuries. Making the young boy sigh with relief, as the bruises start to fade and the cuts close up.

"Let's get out of here." Percy says cheerily, once he's finished healing Jason and helps him to his feet.

(Line Break)

When we finally get back to the cabins that the Greeks were using, there is tension in the air. Midnight is trotting just ahead of us with her ears up and her head low, almost as if she is preparing to attack. _That's can't be a good sign._

As we get closer I can hear Benjamin's voice shouting over the others, blaming the Greeks for the tremors. He's even shouting over Frank and Hazel, who are trying desperately to shut him up. I notice that Frank and Jason are in full battle regalia, as they try to calm things down. _Really playing off the fear of the Gods aren't they._ Piper spots us and runs over.

"Your timing couldn't be any better, things are getting a little hot here." She says, looking relieved.

"What happened back there?" She asks, pointing over her shoulder to where we came from. I glance at Percy, who looks down at Jason, who is happily walking along.

"Someone lost their temper." I try and joke, indicating towards Percy. He just smiles guiltily and rubs the back of his neck.

"Gods Percy, you nearly started a war here you know." Piper laughs, thankfully not asking what caused the anger. _I'm pretty sure he stopped the war as well._

Percy looks down with a small smile on his face, definitely feeling bad about what he did. I grab his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze, making him look up a little a smile a little wider. I hear a gasp come from Piper, which snaps my attention back to her. She is looking between us with surprise and a massive smile.

"Are you two dating?" She asks, struggling to contain a squeal of excitement. I blush and try and let go of Percy's hand, but he just holds mine tighter.

"Yea." He says, sounding a little tired.

"No point trying to keep it from her. She is a Goddess of Love, she would have found out about the relationship eventually." He whispers into my ear, while Piper jumps around like a toddler saying, 'I knew it' over and over. I sigh in agreement.

 _I guess keeping it to ourselves has officially gone out the window._

 **(Percy POV)**

As we deliver Jason to the Greeks, the tension immediately drops on the Greek side and they prepare to leave.

"You're letting them go? After what they did we should be putting them in chains." Benjamin calls out, but only a handful of people agree with him. I turn and glare at him, feeling quite tired from my little episode earlier. _I do feel really bad about that by the way._ Benjamin feels my gaze and turns to me with a grin, before continuing to spew accusations at the Greek Campers.

"Yes, its not like they're our prisoners. Also, please tell me which one of them has the power to cause tremors" Dakota says, sounding more fed up with Benjamin than anything else. Benjamin throws a dangerous glare at Dakota, but does in fact stop talking. _I suppose that's a surprise._

"So what happened?" Frank asks, walking up with Hazel both throwing nervous glances at the group of Romans who came to watch them leave.

"The anti-Greek faction kidnapped a 7 year old boy and beat him a little, which made Percy kind of lose his cool." Reyna informs them, making me feel guilty again.

"Thank goodness that you found him before things could escalate." Hazel says. _She's right, things could have gone a lot worse._

I look around tiredly, watching my Greek friends form two circles. One around Jason and the other around Piper, as they're preparing to flash back to Camp Half-Blood. A slow movement from the nearest part of the wall, draws my attention. I squint at the wall and see someone moving around, fiddling with one of the Scorpions. _It's probably just a patrol._

But as the person starts to slowly turn the Scorpion around I start to worry. _Really? They're going to use artillery._ Frank, Hazel and Reyna had been talking while I was spacing out a little. But when I start to slowly walk forward, they stop and watch me.

"Percy?" Reyna questions softly. But my focus is solely on the Scorpion. _Please leave quicker._ But Jason and Piper are none the wiser as they take their time to leave. My walk turns into a run and then a sprint when I see the person on the wall lining on the shot.

"Jason! Leave now!" I cry out, trying to pull water from the Little Tiber. But it fights me for control, making it incredibly difficult for me to pull any of it over to me.

Jason doesn't hesitate and the moment the last camper grabs hold of someone, they disappear in a golden flash. Pipers groups follows close behind, disappearing just as a bolt lands where she was standing. There's a collective of gasps from the Romans, but at least 20 Romans step forward from the crowd fully decked out in with armour and weapons. _So what's the plan now? Attack those who don't agree with their ideals?_

As the Tiber's water finally bends to my will, I shoot a jet of water at the person using the Scorpion and knocking him off the wall. _I'm sure he survived the fall._

"What is the meaning of this?" Frank calls out, his voice full of authority and power. Making most of the crowd step back with fear.

"We believe it's time for a regime change, _Lord Frank._ " Benjamin mocks arrogantly. I turn back to him, a lot less shocked than I thought I would be. _I suppose it was quite obvious he wanted power._

"Do you think we would allow a hostile takeover and an attack on our allies?" Hazel states angrily, a dark cloud growing around her. Which makes some of Benjamin's ally's flinch away.

"Come on you cowards, they are Gods. They cannot directly interfere with our plan." Benjamin yells, drawing his gladius as his group slowly circles Dakota, Alice and Reyna. _Haha, he's as stupid as I thought he was._

"Oh how wrong you are." I laugh, walking towards the idiot.

"What do you mean?" He asks a little nervously, looking between Frank, Hazel and me.

"We both have domains over heroes. Which means that both Camps come under our spheres of control." Frank informs him with a grin, pulling his own gladius out of thin air. Benjamin's face pales as he stumbles backwards a little bit. I smile as I step up next to the two Gods.

"What now Benny boy? You can't win." I say, watching the gears slowly turn in his head. But a nasty grin starts to grow on his face.

"I believe it's time Rickon." He says slowly, regaining his look of confidence and arrogance. _This can't be good._ I hear a tussle from where Reyna and the others are and see that Rickon is holding Reyna from behind, with a knife to her throat. While two others are holding Dakota and Alice the same way, I take a step forward but Rickon presses the knife closer to Reyna's throat.

"I wouldn't do that, _Praetorian._ " Benjamin laughs, walking towards the three of us with a smug grin.

"Why do this?" I ask, feeling my anger build again.

"To destroy the Greeks and finally have Rome as the ultimate power." He proclaims. _Ugh, he's just like a dumb Octavian._ I quickly glance at Reyna, who is standing tall and defiant, even with a knife to her throat and a sweaty Rickon holding her. He has a weird look in his eyes and he sniffs her hair. _What a freak._

He begins to walk Reyna towards the Barracks, _where is he going?_ An involuntary growl escapes me, it's low and verging on animalistic and I can feel the heat growing over my tattoo and up my right arm. _He will not take her from me!_ As Rickon get's further away I rest my hands on Cyclone and Riptide in my pocket, which makes Benjamin tut at me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you draw that blade a centimetre, my men will kill our _Praetors._ " Benjamin laughs. I look at Frank and Hazel, but they both seem to be at a loss for what to do. _They can't make a move either, this is ridiculous._

"Alright, what do you want?" I ask with a clenched jaw.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Well it's quite simple really, I want to be Consul and I want to destroy the Greeks." He says, making it sound like he's going to the shops and not planning a full-scale war

"But we need the Greeks, there is a much greater war coming and we will need both Camps to get through it." Hazel tries to reason with Benjamin, but he just rolls his eyes at her.

"Yes, this supposed 'war'. Which was foretold by a Greek, how do we know it's not some ploy to distract us." He counters confidently. Some of the Romans gathered that aren't with Benjamin try to sneak away, but Benjamin spins and points at them.

"Nobody move! Or the Praetors will die." He threatens, his men responding by pushing their knives closer to Dakota and Alice's necks. I look back at Reyna, who is still being pulled away by Rickon. But they're not far from the Barracks now, and I can see the lecherous look he has from here.

"If he so much as harms a hair on her head, I will kill all of you." I growl at Benjamin, whose smile doesn't falter.

"Is that a threat _Praetorian?_ " He retorts, taking a step closer to us.

"No. That's a promise _Centurion._ " I reply, trying to keep my voice calm. Benjamin just laughs at me like I've gone mad. _Wait, where did Midnight disappear off to?_

 _"_ _I could use your help about now."_ I call out to Midnight, hoping that she is close enough to hear me.

 _"_ _It's about time, I've been hiding behind the big group this whole time. What do you need me to do?"_ She replies, sounding a little excited. _Not the best time for excitement._

 _"_ _Ok, I need you to go for the guys holding Dakota and Alice. Once they've been dealt with we can move without worrying about them being harmed."_ I explain to her, preparing myself to lunge at Benjamin.

 _"_ _I can deal with that, but we should hurry. I heard what that Rickon boy was whispering to Reyna, and let's just say that it wasn't very PG."_ She returns, making my anger flare. I can feel my tattoo glowing with heat under my armour and tunic. _I'm going to make that worm pay._ Benjamin looks at me in wonder for a second before looking a little jealous.

"What's that?" He barks at me, coming a few steps closer. _What's what?_

"Under you armour, what's that glow?" He continues when I don't answer him. _Oh he means my tattoo._

"I can show you, but you're going to have to get closer." I bait him, praying that he doesn't suddenly develop any form of intelligence.

The seconds tick by as I wait for him to make up his mind, and after what feels like a century, he finally starts to walk towards me. _Thank the Gods he's an idiot._ As he cautiously steps closer, I make my armour disappear. Showing off a much brighter glow from my shoulder.

"What the Jupiter is that?" Hazel gasps, looking at my shoulder with interest. The same interest that has Benjamin enthralled enough to forget his own personal safety. _Just a little closer you dumbass._

He's only a couple of meters away now, his gladius pointed at my chest.

"Out with it. What's the meaning of that glowing?" Intrigue overriding all other emotions. Slowly I pull my tunic over my head, leaving me in just my black trousers and boots. When everyone's eyes fall on my blazing tattoo a stunned silence ensues. _Not gonna lie, everyone starring at me is kind of embarrassing._

"What is that?" Benjamin asks, now only a few feat away.

"A tattoo." I smirk, lunging at him.

 _"_ _Go now!"_ I call out to Midnight, hearing someone cry out in pain. I duck under Benjamin's surprised swing and tackle him to the ground.

"But it's what the tattoo can do that makes it special." I grin, setting my right hand ablaze. Benjamin pales as I hold my hand just over his face, I take this opportunity to look around. Midnight managed to drag both attackers away from Dakota and Alice, and they are fighting off the rest of the attackers with Midnight.

Frank and Hazel have joined in, albeit very carefully. Mainly just capturing people and making rope tie them up. _Maybe they don't want to accidently kill someone with a slap._

I punch Benjamin in the nose with my fiery fist, feeling the wet splatter of blood that explodes from his nose. He goes limp as his eyes roll up in his head, _Pathetic._

I quickly jump to my feet and sprint towards the attackers who are slowly circling the trio. I quickly pull Cyclone out and slash it across the back of the knees of one of the attackers, making him cry out as he falls to the ground. The rest of the attackers turn to me and freeze. My right arm is ablaze and long icicles are slowly forming off to my left.

"I'd recommend that you stand down, or I can't guarantee your safety." I say, the threat evident in my voice. _But in all honesty, using my pyrokinesis and making ice is really tiring me out._ The remaining attackers all drop their weapons and back away slowly, allowing Frank and Hazel to flash over to them and tie them all up as well.

I don't wait around to chat, I turn and sprint towards the barracks. _He'd better not have hurt her._

I burst into the communal area of the barracks breathing hard and feeling drained. I look around to try and spot any clues to where they went. A quiet thud snaps my attention to the hall with the meeting rooms, I fly towards the hall and nearly take to door off its hinges as I crash through it.

"You're a feisty one aren't you? But now that I've got you all tied down, you will finally be mine." Rickon says, with a creepy kind of glee. _Why isn't she replying?_ I run towards where his voice came from and step through the door. Reyna is tied to a chair, her toga is all torn up and her armour is barley hanging onto her. _He put a gag on her!_

She's bleeding from a cut on her temple and a small bruise is growing on her cheek. Rickon is standing over her, his hands slowly reaching to unclasp her armour. _Not today shithead._

"What do you think you're doing?" I growl, flicking the cap off of Riptide. Rickon looks surprised when he turns around, he also look kind of stupid with his shirt unbuttoned and his trousers unbuckled.

"What're you doing here?" He asks in disbelief, grabbing his knife on the table.

"Isn't it obvious, your plot failed. Now step away from Reyna and let's just end this madness." I try and reason with the son of Mars. But his gaze hardens as he takes a step towards me, holding his knife out in front of him.

"I think not _Percy._ You're not good enough for Reyna, I won't allow her to date someone like you." Rickon babbles. _Yea, because she really looks like she wants to be with you._

"So what're you going to do? Beat her? Force her to be with you? Without your buddy Benjamin running things, how long do you think that will last?" I question him, stepping closer.

Rickon hesitates for a second, thinking about how to answer my questions and I take the opportunity to jump at him. With a swipe of Riptide I knock his knife out of his hand, I then kick him in the chest and send him over a table.

I quickly turn to Reyna, pull the gag out of he mouth and cut the rope tying her to the chair. She shoots out of the chair and crushes me into a hug and pulls me into a fierce kiss. I welcome the kiss eagerly, and for a few seconds nothing else matters.

"Get away from her!" Rickon screams, pulling himself to his feet. _Great timing dickhead._ We break apart and both glare at him.

"Give up man, you've lost." I say, slowly letting go of Reyna and turning to him. He just glares in return, holding his knife way too far out in front of him. _I don't think I have enough energy left to fight him properly._ Swaying a little on his feet, Rickon jumps at me and thrusts his knife towards my chest.

I push Reyna away and deflect the knife with Riptide. But he keeps pressing, sloppy thrusts and slashes raining down on me. _How does he still have so much energy?_ I can feel my arms getting heavier and slower. _I really shouldn't have exerted myself so much earlier._ I block a low strike and deliver a vicious kick to the side of his knee, making him howl with pain and drop to the floor.

I take a step towards Reyna, so that there is some space between him and I. A red glow begins to surround Rickon, which seems to invigorate him dramatically. _Seriously! A blessing from Mars! He still hasn't over me beating him._

Rickon stands with an evil smirk, realising his sudden advantage. He charges at me and his once sloppy and uncoordinated attacks, now precise and dangerous. _Fucking Mars!_ He's pushing me back with relative ease thanks to his energy boost. I block his attacks to the best of my ability with tired arms, but he gets past my guard with a feint and goes to stab me in the side.

But a flash of purple stops his knife, I have a second to register that the purple is from Reyna's cloak, before his meaty fist connects with my jaw. Black dots explode across my eyes as I stumble backwards and fall to the ground. _Gods that was like a sledgehammer._

It takes a couple of seconds for my vision to clear, and I turn my unfocused eyes to the sound of blades clashing. _But Reyna doesn't have a sword, and Riptide is still in my hand._ As my vision begins to focus, I see Reyna clashing with Rickon using Cyclone. _When the Hades did she take that?_

But regardless of all the strikes she lands on his arms, legs and even his torso, the giant glowing form of Rickon doesn't fall. _Of all the times to get a blessing, Mars had to pick fucking now._ With arms feeling like they've been attached to cinder blocks, I push myself to my feet. On shaky legs I stand and watch as Rickon disarms Reyna and grabs her by the throat.

He lifts her up off the ground, making her struggle and squirm in his grip. She throws desperate punches and kicks, but they just bounce off of him without him even flinching. _The fuck is this blessing? It's like he's invincible._

When Rickon sees me standing, he spins Reyna around and hold her in front of him like a human shield, pressing his knife to her throat.

"Why are you still fighting?" I ask, breathing hard and swaying slightly. _I better not have a concussion._ He doesn't answer me, but he does glare daggers at me with his pinprick and bloodshot eyes.

"Look, even if you beat us. What then? The rest of the Legion saw you, they'll get you when this blessing wears off." I take a step forward and he presses the knife into her neck, making a trickle of blood crawl down her throat.

"Please don't." I plead, my voice cracking a little. Rickon grins menacingly at me, pressing his knife down a little harder.

"You know, I saw that kiss on the cheek before you ran off and your first kiss the other day. I knew he was in the way of us all this time." Rickon rants, looking at Reyna angrily. _Yea, I'm sure that I'm the only reason you're not together. Wait, was he spying on us?_ Reyna rolls her eyes and shakes her head a little.

I can slowly feel my senses returning to normal after being clocked by Rickon. _This has gone on for long enough._ I quickly glance around the room, to see if there is anything I can use to distract Rickon. Naturally, there's nothing. I look back at Reyna in time to see Rickon lick her neck, making her shudder in disgust. _He really is a freak._

But Reyna's gaze turns serious as the corner of her mouth twitches up and her eyes flick down for a second. I follow her eyes and see her left hand holding something in her pocket. _Her silver pocketknife! How could I have forgotten that?_ I actually laugh outloud, without meaning to. Stopping Rickon mid lick and making him look at me in confusion, which only makes me laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" He asks, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"N-nothing, really it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I manage, wiping a tear from my eye. _Gods I needed a good laugh._ Rickon's still looking at me warily, his grip on Reyna loosening slightly and his red glow starting to fade.

"Oh! But, there is one thing you should know." I say, composing myself.

"Oh, and what's that?" He replies sarcastically, sniffing Reyna's hair again.

"You're holding a knife to the throat of a hurricane." I grin, making his eyes go wide. Reyna's takes the initiative and drives her elbow into Rickon groin. He lets go of Reyna to cradle his crown jewels with a silent scream, she then pulls her silver pocket knife from her pocket and drives it into Rickon's shoulder and forces him to his knees.

Samantha and Ross burst into the room with swords drawn and a roar that dies on their lip. _Bit late guys._ They look at Rickon, who's bleeding a tremendous amount. Reyna, who apart from looking a little scruffy in a torn up toga and loose armour. Is looking in the best condition out of all of us, with her small cut and bruise.

Then they look at me. Their gazes are a mix of awe, wonder and little bit of fear. _Yea, I was expecting that._ Sam's jaw basically hits the ground, as she looks me up and down appraisingly. Ross has just focused on my tattoo, with the same fascination that Benjamin had.

"It's just a tattoo Ross, eyes up." I joke, walking over to Reyna. Ross immediately straightens up and walks over to Rickon and ties him up with the rope used on Reyna.

"I feel like we need a break." I smile, resting my head on her shoulder. I feel her laugh quietly and I wrap my arms around her.

"Yea, a break sounds nice." She replies softly, returning my hug. I smile and look up at her beautiful eyes. _I've found my place again._

"Hold up, hold up. Are you two a thing?" Sam ask, surprise and jealousy evident. I turn and see her helping Ross drag Rickon out the room, I drape an arm over Reyna's shoulders and smile.

"That probably depends on your definition of 'a thing'." I reply, making her think about it for a second and then she stomps out of the room, leaving Ross to drag Rickon out by himself. _So much for keeping it a secret._

"I have to ask. Why're you topless?" Reyna asks, giving me a quick once over.

"I used my glowing tattoo of destruction to distract Benjamin." I reply nonchalantly, as we walk out of the room.

"Also, why a hurricane?" She asks, her arm wrapping around me waist.

"It sounded cool in my head." I reply lamely, but she laughs and that makes me feel better.

 _Thank fuck that's over. I wonder where we should go for our break?_

 ** _A/N: This chapter really pissed me off, it just never sounded quite right to me. But I think I got it down this time, so I hope you enjoyed it._**

 ** _You know the drill and I'll catch you next time._**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

 _You want to know something that I didn't know about New Rome? They have prison cells beneath the Senate House. Surprised? I sure as Hades was._

Reyna and I are in the Senate house have a meeting with the Senators that didn't side with Benjamin. _Which thankfully wasn't many._

The meeting is about what should be done with the attackers and Dakota just suggested putting them in the cells until a proper decision is made. I feel my eyes widen in shock and I glance down at Reyna, but considering she is sitting in front of me she doesn't react in anyway.

There is a round of agreement from all the Senators and everyone turns to Reyna.

"It does seem like the best course of action. We will keep them in the cells for a few weeks, while we decide on a proper punishment for them all." She says after a second of thought. _I guess it is the best idea._ Alice calls the meeting to an end and everyone begins to file out.

Reyna stands and turns to me with a smile, which makes me smile.

"So… Any ideas on where you want to run away to for a short break?" I ask as we make our way out of the building. She looks thoughtful for a second, but inevitably shakes her head. An excited Midnight interrupts the conversation by running up to us. She jumps up at Reyna, her paws resting on Reyna's chest and gives her a quick lick on the cheek. Making Reyna laugh and groan at the same time.

 _"_ _Good one."_ I laugh at Midnight, who is now getting a very loving pat on the head.

 _"_ _I thought so to."_ She giggles, deciding to tackle me to the ground. I groan quietly at the dull pain crawling up my back, but the gentle laugh from Midnight and the soft laugh from Reyna quell any anger or annoyance that might have been brewing. I sigh and laugh with them, pushing the heavy lump of fur off of me.

I push myself to my feet and we continue walking in the direction of one of our favourite cafés.

"We could go to Montauk Beach." I suggest as we walk into the café. Both Reyna and Midnight look at me questioningly. _I must have told them about Montauk Beach, right?_

"I must have told you about Montauk." I say, in slight disbelief. I look between the two of them, but neither of them show any signs of knowing what I'm talking about. _Seriously?_

"Huh, I feel like that's something I would have mentioned." I mutter to myself as they just look at me expectantly.

"It's this beach I went to with my mum when I was younger, it's where mum met Poseidon and we used it to get away from my stepdad." I explain to them.

We walk into the café and take our usual table at the back, hidden away from prying eyes. Word had spread pretty quickly about Reyna and I being in a relationship, so hiding away at the back of the café is a nice change from the prying eyes of, well, everyone.

"My mum might still be there actually. I told her to go there for a while." I recall a little absentminded.

"Why'd you tell her to go there?" Reyna inquires, waving over a waitress. We quickly order our drinks and the waitress retreats with a knowing smile.

"Oh, monsters attacked her apartment while I was there." I reply casually, stroking Midnights head.

"What!" Reyna shouts, making everyone look over at us. Reyna goes a little red and sinks down in her chair slightly.

"Yea, an Empousa and a couple of Hellhounds got pointed towards her place by a Demigod they were eating. I was going to tell you, but I came back and all this shit was going down. Then I forgot to tell you about it I guess." I expand, her face going from shock, to worry, to a little bit annoyed. _I should have told her sooner._

"How could you not tell me, are they all ok?" She hisses quietly, I laugh nervously and rub the back of my neck. _I definitely should have told her sooner._

"I'm sorry, it just slipped my mind. Mum and Lilly are fine, thankfully Paul wasn't there at the time of the attack. But yea, everyone's fine." I reassure her. She glares at me for a second longer and then sags in relief. The waitress reappears with a pair of hot chocolates and sets them down on table, before disappearing again.

"I think we should go to this beach." Reyna says, after taking a small sip from her drink. _Really?_

"A-are you sure? We can go somewhere else if you want." I check with her, but she just nods as she takes another sip.

 _"_ _I like beaches, the sand and water feels nice on my paws."_ Midnight chimes in from her spot under the table. I take a sip from my own mug and fall into the comforting warmth of her eyes.

 _Well I guess that decides it then._

(A Few Days Later)

It took a few days to get everything set so that we could actually take this trip to the beach. Reyna had a fair amount of admin to do. _Like seriously, the stack of paperwork she had to go through was half as tall as me._

But she finally got it all sorted out and we can finally set out.

We're currently walking with Dakota and Alice towards the stables. Reyna is telling something to the two of them, but if I'm being honest I'm not really listening. The moment she said something about how to placate the Senate while we were away, I stopped listening. Opting instead to play around with Midnight on the walk over.

 _"_ _You know what, I'm actually pretty excited about this trip."_ Midnight chirps, bouncing around us happily. Her excitement actually pretty infectious.

 _"_ _Me to Little Lady."_ I reply. _Wait, how's she going to travel us? Or better yet, how am I going to travel?_ I stop in my tracks and let everyone walk past me. I have the whistle that Nico gave me in my bag, but it seems like a bit of a waste to call on Mrs O'Leary for travel. _Blackjack should still be at Camp Half-Blood, but he does have the tendency to leave whenever he wants._

As the others all walk into the stables I wait outside. _I might as well give it as shot._ I give my best New York taxi whistle, which makes Midnight whine a little.

 _"_ _Sorry, I'm trying to call a friend."_ I say apologetically.

 _"_ _Is that friend a dolphin! Because it sure sounded like you were trying to call a dolphin."_ She snaps back at me. I apologise again and look to the sky. _Come on buddy, please be near by._

After a minute I begin to lose hope and start to walk into the stables where Reyna is still talking with Dakota and Alice, while she preps Guido. But just as I'm about to walk through the door, I see a black spot in the sky.

I turn to it and squint a little, it's no bigger than a bird at the moment, but it's quickly growing. I laugh to myself a little and look down at a slightly confused Midnight.

 _"_ _I told you I was calling a friend."_ I tell her, feeling a little smug. She just rolls her eyes at me and continues to watch Blackjack approach.

In under a minute Blackjack is landing right in front of us. He gives a flick of his mane and then trots over to us.

 _"_ _Yo Boss, you called?"_ Blackjack says as I pet his head.

"Thanks for coming buddy, can you do me a favour?" I ask him, taking a step back.

 _"_ _Sure, as long as I get some compensation of course."_ He replies, pulling a funny grin. I laugh with him and walk into the stables.

"I think I can find something for you." I joke, making a donut appear in my hand. Blackjack happily follows me into the stables, his full attention on the donut.

Reyna turns to us as we walk into the stable and surprise fills her features as her eyes flick between me and the donut eating Blackjack. _It's still a little weird seeing her in normal clothes. But she could be wearing her toga and armour, or the black jeans and white blouse she's wearing now. She's beautiful in everything she wears._

"When did he get here?" She asks, walking over and petting him on his muzzle.

"Just now, I realised I needed a lift." I reply, making everyone, animals included, shake their heads at me. Blackjack happily clops over to Guido and start to catch up.

"Anyway, how do you plan on getting Midnight there?" I ask Reyna, making her smile and walk further into the stables. _What's she hiding?_

We all follow Reyna into a dark corner of the stable, where there is something covered in a blanket. _They can't have._ With a beautiful grin, Reyna pulls back the blanket and reveals a sleek black and red chariot. I stare at it in awe for a few seconds before rushing up to it. _When did they make this?_ It's more than big enough for the three of us, Hades there might even be space for a third person. _Gods, I haven't seen one of these since I left Camp Half-Blood._

I spin to Reyna with a huge grin on my face and pull her into a hug. _I don't really know why I'm so happy about seeing chariot, but I really am._

"Where did you get this?" I ask, releasing Reyna from my grip.

"I had some of the Vulcan kids make it last week for our trip." She replies happily, obviously happy that I'm happy.

"I guess we'll see you lover birds later." Dakota calls out, as he follows Alice out of the stables.

"Like you're one to talk." Reyna shout after them, an evil smirk on her face. _What! Those two! No way!_ I look from the grinning Reyna and a now blushing Dakota and Alice. _It's true!_ Dakota and Alice quickly scurry away, both of them a funny shade of red.

"I can't believe it." I mutter in surprise.

"I know right, I found out when her house burnt down." Reyna says, watching the retreating figures with a smile. _Wait, she's known for ages. Oh well, I'm too excited about going away._

"Shall we my Lady." I say, leaning down into a very over exaggerated bow. She laughs and taps me on the back of my head, before stepping towards the chariot and attaching Guido and Blackjack. _Huh, I didn't realise that we hadn't done that yet._ Midnight jumps up onto the chariot and is quickly followed by Reyna. Reyna turns to me with a smile that melts my heart and eyes that make my mind go blank.

"Are you coming?" She grins at me, holding her hand out to me. I brake from my stupor and take her soft hand as she pulls me into the chariot. Reyna grabs the reins and directs Blackjack and Guido towards the door.

 _"_ _Hey Boss, is your lady friend driving?"_ Blackjack asks, throwing a quick glance back at us.

 _"_ _Oh, and is she your lady, lady friend?"_ He asks, and I'm pretty sure he winks at me. I laugh at his antics, earning a strange look from Reyna and Midnight.

"Yes to both buddy." I reply, still laughing.

"Sorry, Blackjack was asking a question." I inform the two other passengers. Reyna cracks the reins and the two pegasi trot out of the stables and once we're clear of the stables they begin to gallop. _Flying is still unnatural by the way._

Like I know Zeus isn't going to blow me out of the sky, but I still feel like he will. Once we get up into the sky, and I've got over my slightly irrational fear of suddenly exploding in the sky. I let go of the side of the chariot and wrap my arms around Reyna's waist and kiss her on the neck, which makes her squeak slightly in surprise. _Well that was adorable._

"I need to do this so that I don't get scared about falling off." I lie, grinning like an idiot as I rest my chin on her shoulder.

 _"_ _Sure you do."_ Midnight chimes in, making my grin grow.

 _This trip is going to be great._

(In The Evening)

 _I won't lie to you, I'm not entirely sure how we managed to reach Montauk Beach in a day. We even threw a dozen or so breaks into the mix and still managed it._ As the chariot touches down on the sand I jump out and roll in the sand happily, thanking every God that we made it safely. _What can I say, I hate flying._

Reyna takes a much more dignified approach to disembarking the chariot and stands over me with her hand on her hips. I quickly stand and brush the sand off of me, before leading her in the direction on the cabin.

"It's beautiful here." Reyna states, looking out over the calm ocean and the orange skyline. I watch her as she walks to the shallow water and dips her feet in, the fiery sun set glowing around her. _She really is beautiful._

 _"_ _Stop ogling her and get us to the cabin, I'm hungry."_ Midnight huffs, but there is an undertone of humour lacing her words. I grin at the childish wolf and look back at Reyna, who is already walking back towards us. The sunset burning behind her and her hair blowing in the slight breeze, making her look like a Goddess.

"Come on. I'll show you best bit." I say, taking her hand and jogging down the beach. _Which must be quite a funny sight, considering it probably looks like two people being chased by a wolf and two pegasi pulling a chariot._

It takes about a minute to jog to the cabin, but when we get there I can feel my smile growing. It's not the fanciest cabin in the world, but it's like a second home. It has two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen/dinning room thing going on. More than enough space for everyone, considering mum is still here. _I spotted her car as we got closer._

"Thank you Blackjack, and you too Guido. This trip would have been a lot harder had it not been for you two, so if you want anything just ask and I'll do my best to get it for you." I say, turning to the pegasi as they pull the chariot up next to the cabin.

 _"_ _No problem, Boss. If you could set me up with some donuts, we'll be set."_ Blackjack quickly replies, stretching as I untie him from the chariot. I laugh, but hold my hand out nonetheless and make a box of donuts appear. I place them down in the back of the chariot so that they don't get any sand on them and turn to Guido.

 _"_ _My Lord, if you could thank Reyna for all her efforts in caring for me. That will be enough."_ Guido requests, throwing me through a bit of a loop at the formality compared to Blackjack.

"Sure, I can do that." I say petting him on his head, after untying him.

"Well, you guys are free for the next week I guess. Don't get into any trouble and stay close by." I say, realising I sound like a parent. _That was weird._ They both agree, before lying down next to the cabin. _Huh, I guess that works._ I turn back to Reyna and Midnight who had watched the whole interaction in silence.

"You know, it's weird hearing a one sided conversation." Reyna.

"I can imagine. Also Guido says thank you for looking after him." I tell her, making her smile as she looks at the white Pegasus. _A horse friend indeed._

The three of us walk up to the front door of the cabin, I nock on the wooden door and step back and wait with Reyna and Midnight. There's the faint sound of footsteps scuffling around inside before the door is finally opened. Paul looks at us in surprise, his hair a bit of a mess and in pyjamas and a dressing gown.

"Percy, what're you doing here?" Paul asks, looking a little bewildered. _I probably should have called ahead._

"We came to visit." I say with a smile, indicating to Reyna and Midnight. Paul's gaze drifts to the other two and a smile replaces his bewilderment.

"Oh, come on in then." Paul replies happily, stepping to the side so that we can walk in.

"Who was at the door dear?" I hear mum call from the kitchen, I hold a finger to my lip before Paul can reply and sneak towards the kitchen door.

"You know, some stranger trying to sell something." I say, leaning against the doorframe. Mum looks confused for a second before looking up at me, and her face morphs into a huge smile.

"Percy! Why didn't you say you were coming?" She squeals in delight, rushing over and crushing me into a hug.

"I thought the surprise would be nice." I tell her as she releases me and I can breathe again. She looks past me and sees Reyna, who gives her a bit of an awkward wave. But mum being, well, mum. Strides up to Reyna and envelopes her in a hug as well, making Reyna tense up for a second before relaxing and hugging her back.

"Reyna dear, it's nice to see you again." Mum says, letting go of her and holding her at arms length.

"How've you been? I hope Percy hasn't caused too much trouble for you." Mum asks, sending a small grin my way.

"I've been good, and no more trouble than usual." Reyna replies, returning her grin.

 _I feel like they're bullying me._

(Line Break)

For the rest of the evening we sat in the living room catching up. Reyna and I told them about the small incident with Benjamin, which shocked both Paul and Mum. Making them repeatedly ask if we were ok, especially Reyna. As she was ambushed at home and almost raped by a weirdo. They really weren't that worried about me to be honest.

Mum told us that she had seen a few monsters, but that they had all be heading West or South. _West makes sense. But why South?_ What's down there. But other than that, nothing much else has been happening with them. They've just been enjoying their time at the beach, apparently Lilly loves water nearly as much as I do. I'm a little gutted that she's in bed and I can't say hi, but she is only just over 1 years old and it is now 11:30pm.

But I think the thing that surprised Mum and Paul the most is when I told them that Reyna and I are now dating. Reactions went from pleasant surprise from Paul, and Mum almost doing a victory lap around the living room.

"I knew you two would make a good couple." She had said, pulling us both into a hug. Reyna turns as red as a stoplight, but smiled all the same.

We say our goodnights and as Mum and Paul head to bed, leaving Reyna and myself sitting on one of the sofa's. Reyna relaxes a monumental amount and leans on me, resting her head on my shoulder. I rest my head lightly on hers and snake an arm around her shoulders and squeeze her for a second.

"You're a lucky man, you know that right." She says quietly. I look down at her and see her eyes closed and a pleasant smile on her face.

"I know I am, but why do you think I am?" I inquire, more intrigued by her answer than anything else.

"You have a wonderful mother and stepfather. Even Poseidon openly loves you in a way that none of the other Gods do, and don't get me started on that adorable little sister of yours." Reyna explains quietly, not even opening her eyes. I smile and go back to resting my head on hers. _She missed something._

"You know you missed something out right." I tell her, basically feeling the gears turn in her head.

"Midnight?" She questions, catching me off guard.

"Ok, maybe two things." I correct myself, making her think again. When she doesn't reply I sit up and tilt her face towards me.

"My wonderful girlfriend." I grin, pulling her into a kiss. I feel her grin against my lips as she sits up and leans into the kiss.

"You know, for all the stupid things you say. You come up with some pretty smart stuff sometimes." She mummers, as I pull her onto my lap. I look into her sparkling eyes in wonder and my body moves before I can even register what I'm doing. With one hand resting on her thigh and the other on her back I pull her into a heated kiss, running my hand slowly up her thigh and pulling her in a little tighter.

Her tongue invades my mouth and we fence for superiority for a couple of seconds, before I give up. Reyna moves from sitting my lap to straddling me, one hand running through my hair to the back of my head and the other resting on my chest.

My hands rest on her waist and slowly start to rise, sliding under her blouse and over her smooth skin. When my hands touch her skin she flinches slightly, before melting into my touch

"Gods you're hot." She sighs, leaning in a bit closer.

"Thank you. I try really, really hard." I laugh quietly, making her glare playfully at me.

"That's not what I meant. I mean your body temperature, you're like a furnace." She says, rolling her eyes. I look down at my hands for a second and then give her a small shrug.

"Maybe it's a champion thing?" I ask more than state, making her laugh a little.

"Maybe, you're even beginning to glow a little." She giggles, looking at my shoulder. I raise an eyebrow and look down at my shoulder and see that she's right, there is a warm orange glow emanating through my shirt. _Huh, that's interesting._

Pushing my glowing shoulder from my mind, I lean forward and kiss her neck. My hands slowly making their way up her sides, as I continue to kiss her neck eliciting a soft moan from her. But before my hands can get too high, she rests her hands on my wrists and holds them. I kiss her neck one more time and then look up at her.

"We can't do this out here. What if someone, i.e. your mother, walks in?" She says, breathing a little heavy. Seeing her reasoning I wrap my arms around her and stand up, making her yelp with surprise.

"Shhh! Someone will hear you." I whisper with a grin. Her legs automatically wrap around my waist as I head for my bedroom. _I'm so glad Midnight fell asleep on one of the armchairs._

After walking into my room I close the door as quietly as I can and lock it. I lay her down on my bed and as I'm leaning over her I get lost in her eyes for a moment.

"You really are beautiful, and I think I just might love you." I whisper, before leaning down and kissing her. My hands drifting to the hem of her blouse as I slowly pull it up and over her head, kissing her skin along the way. She pulls my shirt up and I lift my arms so she can get it off of me. My tattoo illuminates the room a little, almost making me laugh. _I'm like a bloody night light._

She traces her hand over the scar that stretches from my right shoulder to my left hip, making me shiver a little bit

"Does it still hurt?" She asks, a little bit of worry flowing into her words.

"Not even a little bit, it just an odd sensation when you touch it." I tell her, slightly expecting her to make a fuss about it. Instead she leans forward and kisses it softly, she then pulls me down onto the bed with her and we are soon lost in our own slice of Elysium.

(Line Break)

When I wake up in the morning, I find myself in a somewhat interesting position. I'm lying on the floor, surrounded by pillows and blankets, with a slight weight on my chest. I look down and see a mess of black hair splayed out over my chest.

I smile at the sleeping form of Reyna, tracing my fingers over her back.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." She says opening her eyes, making me jump a little. _She's awake?_

"How long have you been up?" I ask her as she rolls onto my chest. She pushes a strand of hair off of her face and gives me a sweet smile.

"For a little while, I think Midnight wanted to come in and she was tapping on the door. But you are like a radiator, so I didn't want to get up." She replies sleepily. _It's a good reason._

She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and then pushes herself up, wrapping the blanket that was covering us around her. I'm about to complain when a light nock comes from my door.

In a flash, I pull one of the other blankets over myself before calling out a 'who is it?'

"Are you two up? I'm making breakfast." Mum asks through the door, with tone of humour lying under her words.

"We'll be out in a minute." I call back, reaching for my bag. I pull a pair of shorts out and sliding them on, while Reyna slips on a pair of pyjama shorts and a tank top.

"Lets eat." I say, taking Reyna's hand and pulling her towards the door.

 _This is going to be a great week._

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I have been rammed with work recently and I could only work on this in short stints. So I'm sorry if it's not great, because I don't feel like it's my best. But I hope you enjoyed it._**

 ** _You know the drill and I'll catch you next time. (Which hopefully will be soon)_**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: I just want to say a thank you to all of you who took the time to write reviews. You guys rock!**

 **(Reyna POV)**

(A Few Days Later)

Staying at the cabin with Percy's family has been an absolutely amazing experience. Sally is so genuinely loving and caring, it's easy to see how Percy turned out so loyal and genuine.

Paul is very understanding of our world, and so very in love with Sally and actually cares for Percy. I know Percy never said it out loud, but it was obvious that he was worried that Paul would be angry about the attack at the apartment. Paul didn't even sound a little annoyed about it when it came up, waving Percy down as he tried to apologise.

We've had a great time playing on the beach with Lilly and Midnight, who is surprising good with children. _Who would have thought that?_ Percy looked a little jealous when Lilly and I spent an afternoon building a sand castle, and playing together without him while he was helping Sally with something.

Lilly loves the beach and the ocean, which made Percy so happy I think he nearly cried a little bit. He would make shapes out of the water and float them around her head, making her giggle and chase after them.

She would paddle in the shallows under the very careful watches of Percy and Sally, making sure that she doesn't just walk into the deeper waters. Even though it seemed like Poseidon was also keeping an eye out for her, as the waters were never rough or dangerous in anyway what so ever when she approached the waters edge.

But I think the best thing about seeing Percy interact with his family, is that he's like a completely different person around them. All his worries seem to melt away as he plays with Lilly, or talks with Sally. He becomes a lot less serious, and actually acts like an actual 16 year old.

But you can see it in his eyes, whenever Lilly is walking about he is always scanning the environment for a potential threat. Playing the very protective brother. But now Sally, Paul and Lilly are going back home, leaving the cabin to Percy and me for the last few days of our holiday. _Which should be nice._

Percy is currently chasing Lilly around the cabin, making her squeal with delight. While I sit in the kitchen with Sally having a cup of tea, whilst Paul carries the last of their bags out to the car.

"Noooo!" Lilly shrieks as she runs past the door, with a grinning Percy walking after her. I feel a small smile spread across my face as I take a sip from my tea. _Having a family like this would be pretty great._

"He's like a new person." Sally says, snapping me from my thoughts.

"What do you mean?" I ask, setting my mug down on the table and giving Sally an inquisitive look.

"When the Giant war ended, he was so broken and lost." Sally starts, looking down at her tea deep in thought.

"I don't know how much he told you about all of it, and I'm sure he didn't tell me the whole story. But he looked so ashamed of himself when he came by." She says, looking towards the door where we can hear him laughing with Lilly in the other room.

"But now, with Lilly being born, Artemis allowing Midnight to stay with him and I think maybe even more importantly you being there for him. It looks like he's regained his will to live." She says thankfully, making me blush a little bit.

"N-no, I didn't really do anything. I'm pretty sure that if anything I've made life more difficult for him recently." I admit, looking down sadly. _It's true, if I hadn't agreed to making him a Praetorian, he would never have gotten caught up in the mess with Benjamin and Rickon._

As if sensing my mood, Midnight trots into the room and rests her big soft head on my lap and gives me a reassuring look with her beautiful silver eyes. _She's such a wonderful companion, she always seems to know what to do. Even if we can't talk like she and Percy can._ I stroke Midnight behind her ears and look back up at Sally.

"Don't be ridiculous dear. I'm certain that it if it hadn't been for you, he would have descended into a very dark place that he may never have come out of. Especially with his memories of Tartarus." Sally smiles kindly. _Oh Gods, I nearly forgot he went to Tartarus. That would explain his occasional nightmares. How could I be so stupid!_

"Which would have been a terrible way to live for eternity." She adds quietly. _She's giving me more credit than I deserve._ But before I can say anything else, Paul walks into the room with an easy smile on his face. He walks up to Sally and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"We're all packed up and ready to go." He says, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Sally. Sally smiles before giving me a quick wink.

"Percy, could you come here please?" She calls into the next room. There's a moment of silence before we hear light steps and Percy sticks his head around the door cautiously.

"This looks likes an intervention." He grins, walking into the room with Lilly on his hip. He walks up and stands next to where I am sitting.

"What's up?" He asks, when Sally doesn't say anything.

"Oh, its just time for us to go is all." She replies, standing up and walking over to him. She gives him a light kiss on the cheek and takes Lilly from him.

"Oh, ok." Is all he manages to get out, looking a little sad. We all head towards the door to say goodbye.

"Now take care you two and call us if you need anything." Paul says, shaking Percy's hand and giving me a light hug.

"Except if it's monster related, I'm pretty sure we won't be able to help with that." Sally adds with a grin, pulling each of us into a tight hug.

"I don't know, you did pretty well outside the Empire State Building." Percy adds, making the pair of them blush a little. _What happened at the Empire State Building?_

We say goodbye one final time and then they leave us to our own devices. Percy closes the door and turns to me.

"So what do you want to do now?" He asks with a small smile. I look up at the clock on the wall and see that it is still relatively early.

"How about we go and relax on the beach for a while and then have some lunch." I suggest, turning a walking towards our room. _It still feels weird to think of it as our room._

"Sure." Percy chimes happily, skipping after me. _He's such a child sometimes._ We quickly get changed into our swimming costumes, grab some towels and head out the door and onto the beach. I look up and down the beach and see that there aren't that many people out yet. _I guess it is still early._

Percy lays his towel down about 20 feet from the cabins front door and turns to me. _I would be lying if I said seeing him in just swimming trunks didn't make my stomach flip a little._

"I'm gonna go for a quick swim." He says, his eyes bubbling with excitement. He barely even waits for me to reply with an, 'ok' before he goes bounding off to the water and dives in. I lay my towel down and lie down, Midnight apparently opting to relax with me instead of playing with Percy in the water. She lies down at the head of my towel and allows me to use her as an amazingly soft pillow, while I read my book in bliss. _I wish we could live this peacefully all the time._

 _"_ _Is that what you wish for? Daughter of Bellona."_ A female voice asks in my head. It takes all of my will power not to jump to my feet in shock.

 _"_ _Who are you?"_ I ask defensively, sending glances in every direction. _But if they are talking in my head, they probably wont be around here._

 _"_ _Me? I'm no one important, I just want to help you achieve your wish after this coming war."_ The voice says, sounding a lot closer this time. _That kind of sounds like something Lady Venus would say._

 _"_ _I am not Venus!"_ The voice snaps, making me flinch a little. Thankfully not enough to alert Midnight that something is up.

 _"_ _Sorry, it was just a passing thought. I didn't mean it."_ I apologise, trying to appease the now partially confirmed God.

 _"_ _No, I must apologise. That Goddess just annoys me to no end."_ The voice sighs, it sounds like they're rubbing their temples.

 _"_ _Anyway, how would you help me achieve my wish?"_ I ask, a little curious to see what this being is willing to offer.

 _"_ _Unfortunately I cannot offer you any gifts, but I can offer you some information."_ The voice says, making me frown a little. _Getting some kind of gift like Percy would have been cool._

 _"_ _Alright, lay it on me."_ I sigh, closing my book and setting it down next to me.

 _"_ _Apart from the coming war in the next few years, there is a much more immediate threat approaching. I cannot foresee when it will happen, but it is coming for the pair of you regardless of where you will be."_ The voice warns, a horrible feeling of foreboding crawling up my spine. _Oh to be a Demigod,_ _never a dull moment in our lives._

 _"_ _I am sorry I can't say more now. But I will be in contact with you again, when the time is right."_ The voice says after a minute of silence. _Well that's not vague._

 _"_ _When the time is right?"_ I ask, but no reply comes. I wait for a few extra seconds for a reply, but the voice remains silent. _I guess she said all she wanted to._ I look out at the ocean, where I spot Percy breaking the surface for a second before dropping back down under the slow, rolling waves. I smile at his fun and turn my thoughts to the conversation I just had.

 _Something is coming before the war, which is meant to start in 3 years? Could it be those skirmishes that Percy said would come? Or something worse?_ _We can't even get our peace before the war, why is life so unfair._

 **(Percy POV)**

Coming to Montauk has been one of my better ideas, _if I do say so myself._ Being able to spend time with mum, Paul and Lilly without being attacked by some sort of monster has been great.

Lilly has gotten even more adorable, with messy shoulder length brown hair and deep sapphire eyes that ensnare you with ease. She has such boundless energy, it really makes me question if mum is actually a Goddess. As I even struggled to keep up with her as we played.

I was a little disheartened when they had to leave, but the moment I saw Reyna's face, all the sadness I was feeling drifted away with one small smile from her. When she suggested that we go and relax on the beach, I'm pretty sure I fell even more in love with her. She also looks stunning in her bikini and sarong, _as I've been told it's called. It looks like a really thin scarf to me._

After I tell her that I'm going for a quick swim, I sprint towards the water and dive straight in. Immediately dropping deeper and deeper into the ocean. I get the usual hellos from all the sea life, and I return them all with a smile. _It's still a little embarrassing to be called a Lord by a fish._

I continue to swim down until I'm about 30 meters down. Now, if I were a normal human, doing this would've been a little uncomfortable. _Haha, I bet I could freak out a lot of people doing this._

"Enjoying the ocean son?" A low voice rumbles from behind me. I turn with a grin on my face as I see Poseidon floating behind me, with a matching grin.

"Always do father." I reply, swimming a little closer to him.

"So, what's the occasion?" I ask, turning a little serious. _It's not like he usually turns up with good new._

"Can't a father come and visit his son when he's in his domain?" He tries, gesturing around to the water around him. _He makes a good point, but I don't think that's it._

"He can, but I get the feeling that's not the case." I say, making Poseidon sigh a little bit. I guess I hit the nail on the head with that one.

"I think I preferred it when you just went along with everything without thinking about it." He jokes, making me laugh a little. _Yea, I wasn't brightest tool in shed back in the day._

"I just came to relay some information to you, and maybe to see how far you powers over my domain have progressed." He quickly adds, definitely grabbing my attention.

"And which do you want to do first?" I inquire. All of a sudden the pressure increases around me and I can feel it pushing me deeper. _I guess that answers my question._

I focus on the water around me, trying to make the water around me bend to my will, so that it stops pulling me down. It takes a little effort and a lot of concentration, but I finally manage to get the water under control enough to control my own buoyancy. I look back up at Poseidon to see him nodding approvingly. _I bet he's hardly using his power._

But instead of waiting for him to attack again, I decide to go on the offensive. I begin to swirl the water around Poseidon, trying to obscure his view and hold him in place while I create some ice balls. _No point trying to skewer my father._ When I lose sight of his face behind the bubbles and seaweed that's spinning around him, I launch the ice at him.

I aim for his head and chest, the two places that will do significant damage. He doesn't seem very fazed by the ice, he just holds his hand up and two of the three ice balls melt instantly. _He missed one!_ The last sails past his hand and nail him right on the nose, making his head shoot backward. I freeze for a second, unsure of what to do next. _Because if I just pissed him off, I better be ready to run._ But when I hear him laughing as he leans back forward I relax.

"Well, I definitely didn't see that one coming." He laughs, golden ichor hanging in the air around his head. In an instant he creates about 50 ice balls, all of which stare down at me like pale eyes. _This… This is not going to end well._

I pull water up in front of me, making it denser. Hopefully enough to slow the ice balls down enough for me to get the fuck out of the way. With a wave of his hand the ice shoots towards me like it's been shot from a gun. _Yep, I'm screwed._

As I go to lift my arms to try and slow the speed of the ice, I find that the water around me has become as hard as a wall. _Great!_ He then fires a few jets of water at me, apparently for good measure.

"Come now Percy, if you can't handle this much power. How're you going to fight in the next war? How will you protect your friends? They will all die!" Poseidon calls out. Now, a part of me knows that he's just trying to rile me up. But my anger explodes at his words. I feel a painful tug in my stomach and heat start to build on my shoulder. I feel the water explode around me and Greek fire engulf my shoulder.

I shoot out a plume of Greek fire, vaporising the ice balls and singeing the edge of Poseidon's robes. Poseidon looks at me in shock, patting the flames out frantically. I hold my other hand up and stop the jets of water, collecting them in my hand and then shooting it back at him as one giant blast.

Poseidon recovers from his shock and swipes his hand sideways and diverts the water blast into the sand beneath his feet, sending up a massive dust cloud. I propel myself towards him like a torpedo while he can't see very well, my arm blazing green. _Greek fire is wonderful stuff._ I duck under a jab from Poseidon and punch him in the gut with my flaming arm, making him double over with surprise.

I throw a second punch at his jaw, but he just disappears in a flush of bubbles. I spin around angrily, searching for something to direct my anger at.

"You need to harness that aggression without losing your mind to anger. Think, if I managed it with a sentence, what're you going to do against someone who is going out of their way to get under your skin." He questions, looking a little angry. I feel my anger begin to drift away and look down a little, shame flooding my chest. _He's right, if you lose your cool in a fight, you've basically already lost._

I feel a warm hand rest on my shoulder and look up to see my eyes reflected in Poseidon's, his expression is sympathetic and caring.

"I know I'm not the best example of this, but I want you to be better than me. Better than the rest of the Olympians, you can do so much more for the world than we can because you aren't bound by the same laws we are. We can't even help our own children, and I know we Gods are exceedingly easy to anger, we lash out, often killing or cursing a poor mortal for no real reason." He continues sorrowfully, the regret evident in his eyes. _Be better than him?_

"You will have an influence in both the camps and events to come and I believe you'll change the Greek world." _Not gonna lie, that sounds horrifying._ But Poseidon's gaze is unwavering as he looks me in the eyes, before looking down at my tattoo.

"I guess, judging from that arm of yours, someone else feels the same." He finishes, a lopsided grin growing on his face. _Ah… well… fuck._ I shift a little nervously in the water and look everywhere but at Poseidon.

"Don't worry, I wont ask who. But just know, they are probably thinking the same as me." He almost warns, his expression darkening slightly.

"But anyway, please think on what I said. You are powerful son, frighteningly so. You just need to realise it and harness it without losing your temper." He finishes, pulling me into a hug. I freeze for a second, but return the hug happily.

"Also, something is happening to the south. Monsters are gathering, but their reason still eludes us. Be prepared." He says, releasing the hug and holding me at arms length.

"I will be keeping an eye on Sally and Lilly, so don't worry about their safety." He whispers, melting into the surrounding water. _Well, I'm pretty sure my life is going to get horrifyingly difficult. I wonder if Hestia has the same ideas as Poseidon?_

I slowly start to swim towards the surface, everything Poseidon said going around and around my head like a merry go round. _I don't want to drag Reyna into any more Chaos than we're already going to face, but I get the feeling if I say something about it she'll stab me._

I break the surface of the water, and look up at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds for a second before sinking just below the surface. Letting the tide slowly pull me towards the shore.

 _I hate the waiting._

(Line Break)

A few hours later and Reyna and I are walking down the beach, hand in hand, soaking in the peace while we can. She has been a little quiet, but I think nothing of it as we continue to walk down the beach.

"Do you ever think about what you'll do after this coming war?" Reyna asks suddenly, sounding a lot more serious than I expected her to be. _It's a good question, if I survive._

"Well, if I survive -" She cuts me off with a light slap to the back of the head.

"You will survive!" She states loudly, making a nearby couple look at us a little worried. I give them a small smile as I wrap my arm around Reyna's shoulders and walk a little further away from the couple.

"Ok, when I survive the war. To be honest I just want to relax, go away for a bit maybe. Just get away from all the wars and death for a while." I say. I can feel her shoulders slump a little, and I give her a light squeeze and kiss her on the side of her head.

"I never said by myself." I add quietly, trying not to grin. Her head immediately spins to me, a sparkle in her dark eyes and a bright smile on her lips.

"Well, you didn't think I'd be going away and leaving my girl behind did you?" I grin, making her smile even wider. _She actually thought I'd leave her for a minute there._

"What brought this on anyway?" I ask as we continue to walk through the sand, the water licking at our feet.

"It was just a thought I had earlier, I was curious to see what you would say." She replies, her cheeks reddening slightly. _She's so cute when she's embarrassed._

A flicker of movement from the edge of the sand attracts my attention. I lazily look over at it and see something slithering through the sand. _I've never seen snakes here before._ The snake looks fairly large, bigger than I would have thought any snakes around here would have been. _Are there even snakes in these parts?_

I start to turn my attention back to Reyna, when I see an arm extend from the supposed snake. _You cannot be serious!_ Ever so slowly I turn back towards the snake person, and internally scream when I see that what I thought was a big snake is actually the Lamia.

Her long python body makes slow, deliberate movements as she traverses the sand. Completely oblivious to us, for now. My grip on Reyna's shoulders tightens, making her look up at me questioningly. I shake my head the tiniest amount before checking to see if Riptide is in the pocket of my shorts. _Of course it is, it always comes back to me._

My legs almost give out when I find Riptide in my back pocket. Reyna goes on full alert when she sees me reach for Riptide, looking up and down the beach as subtly as she can. I make a slight inclination with my head, pointing in the direction of the Lamia. Preparing myself for any kind of attack, whilst also trying to slow my now pounding heart. _Why did we leave Midnight asleep on the couch?_

Trying to act as normally as I can, I turn the pair of us around and start to walk back towards our cabin. _I can't be dealing with this monster shit right now._

After we've walked about 20 meters, I chance a look behind us to see what the Lamia is doing. I spot the Lamia basking in the afternoon sun, oblivious to the pair of us. _Thank the Gods._ I sigh with relief. But, just as I am about to turn away, she looks up and right into my eyes. _Of course she fucking looks up._

There's a second where we just stare at each other, both of us not quite believing what just happened. But when the Lamia smiles, flashing her horrible crocodile teeth, I surge into action.

"Run!" I whisper urgently into Reyna's ear, pushing her ahead of me as I spin around and flip the cap off of Riptide. I feel Reyna hesitate behind me, the idea of running is probably driving her mad.

"I'll be back." She states finally, running back towards the cabin. I grin before focusing all of my attention on the snake lady in front of me, her eyes glowing a poisonous green. _But I have the home ground advantage here._ I can feel the power of the ocean at my back, pushing and pulling, wanting to be released.

Feeling the familiar pull in my stomach, I focus on collecting the sea water up behind me in a massive wave. The Lamia doesn't seem particularly faze by the 12ft wall of water, and darts towards me all the same. I release the wall of water and it surges over me and crashes down on the Lamia, and pushes her back.

But the wave seems to only just slightly annoy her, instead of kill her. _That's a first._ She regains her bearings and launches herself at me, her shrivelled fingers and claws reaching for my face. I quickly roll out of the way throwing a wild slash at her side. But her serpentine body evades the hit with ease, as she turns to face me once again.

"Perseus Jackson, I never thought I would be so lucky as to meet you." She says all of a sudden, surprising me a little.

"I don't know if 'lucky' is the word you should be using." I reply through gritted teeth, a little frustrated that she's so calm right now. She comes at me again, her claws slashing at me. I dodge under the first strike and block the second before jumping backwards into ankle high water. I send another wave at her, to much of the same effect as the previous one. I dive out of the way of a swipe from her tail and send a jet of water at her head, which she easily dodges. _This should be much more one sided._

I flick Riptide around in my hand, so that it is now reversed in my hand. I then ignite my arm and use the water to launch me at the Lamia, who is just smiling at me creepily. _Something's wrong here._ I land just in front of her, duck under her clawed swipe, and punch her in the stomach with my flaming hand. _Is her human stomach, actually her stomach?_ But punching her is like punching steel, and I'm pretty sure I can feel my knuckles nearly breaking. Even my flames barely leave a mark on her. _Yea, something's wrong._

A guttural laugh booms from her grotesque mouth, and as I try and jump backwards her tail wraps around me, trapping me. That's when I notice it, a black kind of smoke escaping from under her ratty shirt. _This looks kind of familiar._ With an earth shattering realisation I remember that painting that I saw in my dream. _This is part of the coming war._

"I don't know why everyone is so scared of you. You're just like any other Demigod." Lamia says with a honeyed voice, moving me closer to her face. _Her breath smells like sewage._ She stares at me with her unblinking eyes as she turns me from side to side, _she's probably trying to decide how to eat me isn't she._

"Well, it might be because I killed a Titan or two, maybe some Giants and possibly a Primordial. But hey, who's counting." I grin sarcastically, making her own grin falter for a second. _Think Percy! You need to get out of this._

I will some of the water behind me to turn into shards of ice and launch them at her from all sides. Most of them shatter the instant they touch her. But a couple get embedded in her tail and around her neck. She barely even notices the attack. _So now that I've found vulnerable points I know where to attack. Now I just get out and attack._

"Is that the best you can do sea spawn!" She bellows in my face, spit landing on my cheeks. _Well that's gross._

"That depends on how well you can deal with fire." I grin in response, my tattoo lighting up like a beacon. She looks down at it a little confused, before smiling. _She obviously doesn't get it._ It looks like she's about to say something, but before she can utter her first word my whole right hand side explodes into flames. _Leo would be impressed._

Lamia manages a strangled scream before she drops me like a hand rock. The moment my feet touch the ground, I spring towards her. Aiming to end this all with one swipe of Riptide. But she recovers a lot quicker than I thought she would, and just about manages to deflect the attack. I continue my offensive, slashing and hacking at her, aiming at the couple of weak spots I found. She just about manages to keep her weak spots safe, mainly just by covering them with other parts of her body. _It's like she has the curse of Achilles._ I send a burst of fire at her tail, making her scream as the flames burn the vulnerable areas. I quickly dodge all of her wild strikes and send a jab at her jugular. With a panicked look she throws herself out of the way of the strike. _That's what happens when you rely too heavily on something like impenetrable armour. When it fails you, you always panic first._

I make a few more icicles and launch them at her face. More to distract her than anything else, as I try and think of a quicker way to end this, because using my powers in tandem like this is exhausting.

"Percy!" A voice calls from up the beach. Both Lamia and I look in the direction of the voice. _No, she needs to get away._ I see Reyna running down the beach towards us, spear in hand, with Midnight pulling ahead with a savage scowl on her face.

 _"_ _Midnight! You need to get away, this one's like the black blooded monsters we fought before."_ I call out to the approaching wolf.

 _"_ _Not a chance. If this is like one of them, then you are going to need all the help you can get."_ She returns, actually increasing her speed. _Bloody wolf, never does what she's told._ But I grin all the same, as I turn my attention to Reyna. A small flicker of a smile is working its way across her mouth, and a dangerous glint is in her eyes. _Yea, there's no point even trying to stop her now._

I can't help but smile at those two and the fact that they're nearly as stubborn as a brick wall. I kick the Lamia in the chest, sending her a few meters away so that I can move towards Reyna and Midnight.

"So what's the situation?" Reyna asks as she stops next to me.

"Well it would seem that whoever is behind this coming war, has given some kind of shadow armour to the Lamia." I explain briefly.

"But I figured out her weak points. Her neck is one, and the charred bits on her snake tail are the other points. So if you have any suggestions on how to kill her, it would be appreciated." I continue, throwing a quick glance at Reyna. She's silent for a second as she analyses the monster in front of her. _Why do I have a feeling of Déjà vu?_

"Here's what I have as the start of a plan. One of us needs to distract her and keep her hands occupied."

"I'll do that." I quickly cut in, making her frown at me for interrupting her.

"Ok, then Midnight and I will try and get behind her and pin her tail." She finishes explaining. _It's a pretty rudimental plan, but it is more than I had._ I give a quick nod before charging the Lamia, who had been eyeing us suspiciously while we spoke. _How polite of her to wait._

I dodge, counter and get in an occasional strike or two as I try to distract the Lamia from Reyna and Midnight. _I really wish I hadn't taken my pendant from Hestia off to go swimming earlier._

I quickly glance to where Reyna is sneaking. _Yea, looking away whilst fighting is never a great idea._ The Lamia's claws rake across my stomach, pain exploding through my stomach. I grit my teeth to the pain and carry on fighting. _I really shouldn't have looked away._

In my anger at myself, I feel the flames on my shoulder intensify and creep up my neck and the right side of my face. The pain in my stomach subsides slightly, but that could just be the adrenaline. Her attacks do look like they are slowing down though. With greater ease I dodge the swipes of her claws and tail. I can feel myself laughing quietly as I counter one of her strikes.

"Is this the best you can do _Lamia!"_ I retort, making her growl in frustration and redouble her effort in trying to kill me. All of a sudden the Lamia lets out an ear splitting scream. _I guess Reyna got her tail._ In her rage the Lamia swings her arm around, trying to backhand Reyna. But Midnight leaps up and clamps her jaw around the arm sailing towards Reyna's face.

 _"_ _By Artemis this arm is hard. What is it made of?"_ I hear Midnight complain, as she tries to yank the arm from its socket. Using the second those two gave me, I jump in close to the Lamia and grab her by the neck with my flaming hand.

"Who're you working for?" I growl, staring into her eyes. For a second she doesn't react, but then the fear sets in her eyes. I pull some water from the ocean and freeze her hands together behind her back, after retrieving her other hand from Midnight. I look over at Reyna who is firmly holding her spear through the Lamia's tail. I send a grin her way before turning my attention back to the Lamia in my hand.

"So, are you going to answer my question?" I ask, a dangerous edge to my voice.

"Someone that you can't even begin to comprehend." She spits out.

"Try me." I grin.

"We are working for an ancient being, much older than your puny Gods and Goddess' and much more powerful." She says, her eyes widening as she flashes a manic smile. _She still hasn't blinked yet, it's starting to freak me out._ I hear Reyna gasp quietly and I look at her a little confused.

"Do you mean the Titans?" Reyna asks, looking a little worried.

"No you stupid girl!" The Lamia starts, but a tight squeeze around her neck and the smell of burning flesh stops her in her tracks.

"Watch what you say." I say, the threat hanging dangerously in the air. The Lamia gives me a nervous look, but doesn't make a retort.

"You can't mean another Primordial." Reyna says, her face paling a little.

"Yes I do." The Lamia replies, grinning savagely. I feel and icy hand grip my heart at the mention of the Primordial's. _Not again._

"Who is it?" I growl, the heat on my tattoo and the fire on my right side increasing drastically. Making the Lamia flinch away from me.

"He resides in the very depths of Tartarus, living in the darkness. For he is the darkness and he is everywhere. You are too young, too naïve and too kind to face him." She replies, sounding a little crazy. _Why do they all have to be crazy? Can't I have one normal conversation with one of these monsters? Is that too much to ask for?_

"You will lose everything and everyone you care about. I can't wait to see this little girl die in your arms like the daughter of Athena did when Gaea skewered her like a pig." She taunts, looking up at the darkening sky. I feel my eyes darken and my flames start to turn a dangerous shade of black as I glare at the Lamia. _That was a mistake._

I can see Reyna looking at me a little wide eyed and backing away slowly, pulling Midnight along with her.

"Yes, I do wonder how my master will do it. I do hope it will be more spectacular than what Gaea did. Maybe he'll kill her with her own shadow, you'll effectively be watching her kill herself." She continues, laughing. But I can barely hear her over the black flames roaring on my right and the crashing of the 20ft wave building on my left.

"What's his name?" I ask, my voice not sounding like my own.

"Erebus!" She cries out excitedly, looking down at me and freezing. This is when she realises that she has made a mistake, her eye grow wider with fear.

"Thank you." I say, feeling myself grin. I then bring the wave crashing down on the both of us, as well as engulfing her in the fire. She barely even has time to scream.

Her shadow armour protects her from the worst of it, but I slowly start to tighten my grip on her neck. Along with the sea water trying to drown her, let's just say that she is having some issues breathing right about now.

"Let me tell you something before you go back to your master." I say, my voice dark. Surprising her with my ability to talk underwater. _Which is ridiculous as she even called me 'Sea Spawn'._

"You say I'm too naïve and too kind. But let me tell you something." I lean in closer to her, the water and fire twirling around us like a maelstrom. "You have no idea what Tartarus did to me!" I growl, before finally burning her neck to ash and making her body dissolve in the swirling water.

 _I will not lose anybody else. Especially Reyna._

 **(Reyna POV)**

The moment I heard the Lamia bring up Annabeth, I knew Percy would snap. He still blames himself for not being able to save her, and it was such a gruesome death.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. His expression darkened as a wall of water grew behind him, thrashing like a bucking Pegasus. The flames that had engulfed his right side and part of his face, turn a horrible black. His eyes are what really catch my attention though.

The usual calm sea green and crimson orbs, are now a hurricane of hatred. The crimson burning like a supernova and the sea green crashing like waves. I look down at Midnight, who looks just as surprised as I feel. I lightly grab hold of the back of Midnights neck and pull her away from the pair of them, and she complies readily.

I can see them talking, but I can't hear them over the sound of the waves and the fire. When I see him grin, I know they're done talking and the waves and fire crash and swirl around them. _I had no idea he was this powerful._

After the Lamia dissolves into the water, everything recedes. The water drains back into the ocean and the fire burns itself out. He turns to look at me, his eyes returning to their original, beautiful colour. But he turns his gaze down, looking a little embarrassed and maybe a little ashamed. _Does he think he scared me?_

I walk up to him and look him up and down. There's a lot of blood on his shirt, but when I lift it up to check for the wound. There are only a few faint scars, surrounded by some dried blood. _Was it the water?_

I look up and take his face in my hands and turn it towards me and give him a kiss. He still looks a little embarrassed, but I just smile at him.

"You did a good job. Now let's go get some food." I add happily, taking his hand and pulling him along the beach. As I give Midnight a stroke on the head as she falls into step next to me.

 _Like that little display of power would scare me off._

 ** _A/N: Hi guys, here's the next one. I'm sorry it took longer than usual. I've just recently started going to college and along with working at the weekends, my time is stretched rather thin. So i just want to let you know that my updates might take a little longer, but I will always try and get a chapter to you lovely people within a week and at a maximum of two._**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed it. Catch you later._**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Piper POV)**

(5 Months Later)

I'm pulled from the realm of Morpheus by a strange scratching sensation at the back of my brain, and I wearily pull myself up into a sitting position. I look over at Jason, who is still happily sleeping, completely oblivious to the waking world. _It's good for some._

The scratching begins to intensify, making me wince slightly. I get out of bed as quietly as I can and make my way out of the bedroom. You see, having your own palace is pretty cool. _Even if we do spend just as much time at Camp._

But it does get a bit boring sometimes, we only really hang out with Hazel and Frank on Olympus, as all the other Gods seem to have formed their own little groups and don't seem very welcoming.

I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water. I drain the glass and repeat the process, trying to get the scratching to stop. _Am I getting ill? Can Gods even get a cold, or the flu?_ I'm about to head back to bed when the scratching gets dialled up to 11. My vision blurs for a second and I feel unsteady on my feet. I drop the glass in my hand and put both hands on my head. _What the Hades is happening?_

I slowly kneel on the floor, feeling shards of glass press into my shins. But I don't process the pain, all I can think about is the scratching. _Something is very wrong!_

Jason comes flying into the room, sword raised and ready to attack. If I wasn't in so much pain, I would have laughed at the sight of him standing in flowery shorts and that his glasses are wonky. But the pain in my head is really pulling me down.

"Pipes? What's wrong?" Jason's worried voice cuts through the deafness being caused by the scratching.

"I… I don't… Know. B-but, s-something… is very… wrong." I manage to stutter out, hating how weak my voice sounds. _But what could be causing this?_

Jason walks over to me, being careful to avoid the scattered glass and picks me up. He carries me back to the bedroom and lays me down, a worried frown glued to his face.

Then it hits me, bright as day, an image flashes before my eyes. I see the cabins, the big house, the forest and the lake. But something is wrong with the image, there are no campers. Not a single kid in any of the locations. I grab hold of Jason's wrist, making him jump slightly.

"You need to go to Camp. Something is wrong. I don't know what it is, but something is very wrong there." I gasp as the images vanish. Jason doesn't hesitate, he glows gold for a second as his armour and clothes seem to just melt out of him. With a quick nod he flashes away, leaving me alone in our dark bedroom with panic coursing through my veins.

 _Why did I react like that? It can't be because of my domain over heroes, otherwise Jason would have reacted the same way. So why did this happen to me?_

 **(Jason POV)**

Just by the look on Piper's face when she told me to go to Camp, I knew this was serious. When I heard the glass smash on the floor, I thought that Hermes was trying to pull a prank with Apollo again. I did not expect to find Piper kneeling on broken glass and clutching her head.

When she told me to go, I made some jeans and a hoodie appear along with my armour. I then flashed straight to Camp, and when I say I was shocked silent, I mean it. The sight before me, made my stomach churn uncomfortably. About 50 meters away is the wall surrounding Camp, and on the other side of it I can see a bright orange glow. _Is that a fire?_

Campers are rushing around frantically, some in armour and looking ready for a fight. _Ares kid probably._ While others are in a mixed assortment of pyjamas and armour, which does look kind of funny. _But what the Hades is happening here!_

I spot Chiron galloping towards the wall with his bow slung over his shoulder, and I take off after him. I catch up to him just as he is about to climb a set of wide stairs up the wall.

"Chiron, what's happening?" I ask, making him jump slightly before turning around, his face a mixture of worry and relief.

"Thank goodness you are here Jason, we're under attack." Chiron states before leading me up the stairs. When we get to the top of the wall, my heart stops for a second. There couldn't be fewer than 800 monsters out past the wall, just out of range of all of our weapons. _Where did they come from?_

I look up and down the wall to see that the timing of this attack couldn't have been worse for us. Only a few dozen of the campers look ready for a fight, and that's probably because they were on patrol. All the others look half asleep, and are being weighed down by their armour and weapons. _This is going to be a messy fight._

 _"_ _Frank!"_ I call out on my head, praying that he hears me. It takes a few agonising seconds, but I finally hear a mumbled response.

 _"Frank, I need you here at Camp Half-Blood. Like, right now buddy."_ I say. Apparently hearing the urgency in my voice, Frank appears next to me in his armour.

"What's th-… Oh." Frank cuts himself off, his eyes falling on the army beyond the wall. He turns back to say something, but an ear splitting roar silences everything.

"What was that?" I ask in bewilderment, looking up and down the monster lines. _I don't see anything that could have roared like that._ There are no Drakons, the Hydra isn't there, and there isn't even a Hellhound big enough to do it. I turn back to Frank and just over his shoulder I spot Chiron's ashen face, his eyes glued to the sky. _What's got him in such a state?_

I turn my attention to the sky and see a huge beast hovering above the monster army. _Is that a fucking Dragon!_ I turn to Frank with wide eyes, hoping that I'm hallucination the massive beast.

Its golden scales reflect the dim light of the torches beneath it. Its red eyes scan us lazily as it flaps its huge wings, almost as if it's bored. _It wingspan must be at least 60 meters._

"It can't be." Chiron mutters to himself, taking an involuntary step backwards.

"Chiron, what is that?" I ask him, snapping him out of his fear.

"It's one of the dragons that used to pull Helios' chariot when he rode across the sky. The smaller one I think." The fear is still evident in his voice, but it looks like he is regains control of his composure. _Helios had dragons? Wait, smaller one?_

"But I thought he gave his chariot to Medea." Chiron mutters to himself.

"Frank we need to sort out some kind of defence, as everyone is either asleep of halfway there." I start, looking back down the wall. Frank nods in agreement and starts to make his way towards a sleepy Demigods. _I wish Percy were here, he could always inspire the Greeks to fight better than me._

"Chiron, how do we kill the dragon?" I ask him, pulling him from his panic. He turns to me with wide eyes and a grim smile.

"Someone is going to have to get on its back." I feel a cold chill shoot up my spine at his words.

"There should be a weak spot on its back." He finishes, giving me a knowing look. _It'll have to be me. Frank can transform and distract it, but I'll have to get on it._ I sigh and turn to Frank, who is surrounded by a group of crimson glowing Demigods. _Did he give them a blessing? Can we do that?_

I walk over to Frank, who is looking very pleased with how ready the Demigods are looking.

"Frank, I have a plan." I say.

"Is it a good plan?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, making me grin slightly.

"I have a plan." I sigh, watching the grin grow on his face.

"I'm going to need you to distract the Dragon, and while you are doing that I'm going to get on its back and try and find its weak point." I explain. His face tells me all I need to know about what he thinks of my plan. _It's a terrible plan. Like Percy level bad._ But instead of arguing with me he just sighs, and turns to look at the Dragon. His gaze hardens and a small grin flickers at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's do this then." He grins, his body starting to shift. _I'm still not that used to his shape shifting ability._ In an instant, where Frank was standing is now huge Chinese Dragon. Frank pushes off and sails towards the golden Dragon with a thundering roar.

"Jason!" A small voice calls as I'm about to leap into the air. I turn and see two kids jogging towards me. A small girl and a tall boy, Tazmin and Declan. Twins of Apollo, I'm pretty sure they're quite new here.

"What's up?" I ask, throwing a quick glance at the two fighting Dragons. _I need to get up there._

"Everyone is ready and all the defences are armed." The girl reports professionally. _Did she really need to come and tell me that?_

"Great. Now all you need to do is wait for them to make a move." I return, slowly turning away from them.

"Yes Si-" Declan doesn't finish his sentence, as an axe lodges in the side of his head with a sickening crunch. He crumples, dead before he even hit the floor. Tamzin and I just stare at him for a second, not really processing what's just happened. Then she screams. It's loud, long and filled with so much despair. I look down at her and see that she is covered in his blood, a look of horror plastered on her face as she looks at her fallen brother.

As my brain finally catches up with what just happened I spin and face the monster army, and see a very triumphant looking Cyclops standing at the forefront with a fist held high. _Did he throw that?_ The Cyclops lowers its fist and the army surges forwards, and towards the walls. I snap myself from my disbelief and focus on Tamzin, who now has a kind of vacant look in her eyes.

"Tamzin." I say, trying to get her attention.

"Tamzin!" I try again when she doesn't show any indication of hearing me. But she just continues to stare at her brother.

"TAMZIN!" I shout, making her jump and look up at me. Tears are pouring from her eyes, a silent wail etched onto her face.

"Tamzin I need you to focus. I'm so sorry that Declan died, but the monsters are coming and I need you to get into the fight." I say, feeling the horrible for having to force this girl to fight.

"B-but… w-we've never… b-been apart." She gasps out, looking down at him again.

"I d-don't know what to do." She sobs, crouching down and putting her head between her knees. _She's a sitting duck up here, I need to get her off the wall._

I spot Will Solace running around below us and I call him over. He comes sprinting over and his expression darkens when he spots Declan on the floor.

"Will, I need you to take Tamzin. I need to go help Frank." Almost as if on cue, a pained roar cuts through the night. I turn and see that the golden Dragon has its jaw locked on Frank's side. I don't wait to hear what Will says, I just rocket into the sky. It only takes me a few second to get to Frank, the difficult bit is going to be getting onto the Dragons back.

 _"_ _How's it going buddy?"_ I ask into his head.

 _"_ _Things could be going better."_ He mutters sarcastically. _Is Percy rubbing off of him a little bit?_ With a roar, Frank flies at the golden Dragon again. I follow close behind him, using him as cover so that I can get closer without being seen. They clash like thunder, shaking the very air around them. The force of it nearly sends me spiralling to the ground, but I manage to steady myself and circle around behind the Dragon. _Alright, now all I need to do is land and we're golden._

I make my way towards the Dragons back, as quickly as I dare. Trying not to alert it to my presence, and apparently failing at it. After batting Frank away, with a fairly savage swipe, it turns its head towards me and flicks its tail at me like it's trying to swat a fly. _Which I suppose is probably what it's like._

I manage to spin out of the way of the tail by a hairsbreadth. _That was too fucking close._ I circle around and hover for a second , waiting for Frank to make me an opening.

In the few free seconds I have I look down at the battlefield. The monsters are only about 10ft from wall now, but they are being kept at bay. _For now._ But the number of fallen bodies on the wall is starting to grow. _This can't continue._ I refocus on the Dragon and wait, watching for any kind of opportunity.

That opportunity comes in the form of Frank biting it on the neck. I shoot towards the Dragon, all thoughts of being stealthy out the window. I streak towards it like a bolt of lightening, evading its flapping wings and dodging swipes from its tail.

Just before I can crash into its back, it pushes Frank away and smacks me towards the ground with its huge clawed hand. _Well that hurt._ I hurtle towards the ground like a meteor, and crash into the front lines of the monster army. I hear a muffled ceasefire from the closest part of the wall, _that's not good._

I open my eyes and see a circle of very confused monsters around me. _Yep, I'd probably be confused to._ I need to get out of here before they realise who I am. I push myself up into a sitting position and look at the monster surrounding me. A ragtag group of Cyclops', Laistrygonian's, Dracanae's and Hellhounds. They all take a step back as I pull myself to my feet, eyeing me cautiously.

"Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I really my be off." I grin, shooting into the sky. But not before I call down a massive bolt of lightning all around, and vaporising all the monsters in a 20 meter radius. This time Frank wraps his long serpentine body around the Dragon, restraining all but its wings. _This'll probably be my best chance._

I fly towards its back and crash into its spine, earning a small groan of discomfort. Holding on to one of the spines on its back, I look around for anything that might be a weak spot. But there isn't anything that scream weak spot. _Why can't it glow or something?_

I slowly climb my way towards its head, hanging on for dear life as it clashes with Frank. _Why can't our jobs ever be easy._ With a herculean effort, I manage to get to the Dragons neck. But I still can't see any kind of chink in its scale armour. _Might as well take a swing at it._

I pull out my coin and flip it, and catch my sword. I raise my blade into the air and call down lightning to my blade. As the bolt hits my blade I turn it down and drive it towards its neck. As expected, my blade bounces off harmlessly and the lightning does little more than tickle the Dragon. _Well that's a good start._ I move closer to its head and call down a barrage of lightning strikes all over its head and neck, to no avail.

It turns and looks at me out of the corner of its eye, looking somewhat disappointed. With what sounds like an unsatisfied sigh, the Dragon quickly breaks out of Franks hold and spirals into the sky. The speed at which it flies off nearly pulls my arm out of its joint. I can feel my grip loosening the higher we get and I try and use the winds to slow it down, or at least keep me on its back. But it's going too fast for even the winds to do anything to help me. After a few more seconds my grip fails and I fall from its back.

I quickly catch myself and watch as the Dragon disappears into the dark sky. _This is going to get worse isn't it?_

 _"_ _How we doing Frank?"_ I call out, turning back towards the battlefield. _Where is Frank?_

 _"_ _Not great, get down here."_ He replies urgently. I quickly descend from the clouds and gasp. The monsters are pressed up against the wall, and hammering against it with battering rams made out of whole trees and axes. There are still a large amount of archers on the walls, but whenever one tries to peak over, an arrow swiftly enters their head.

Phalanx lines are being made up on the inside of the wall, with rows of archers behind them. _They'll never hold like this._ I'm about to call out to Frank again, when I spot a body lying behind the lines of Demigods. The only thing that's different about this injured body, is that it's pouring golden ichor instead of red blood. _How did this go downhill so quickly?_

I tighten my grip on my sword and plummet towards the monsters against the walls.

"GET DOWN!" I bellow, making the Demigods on the walls dive for cover. I wrap myself in electricity, and the moment I connect with the ground I detonate a massive electrical charge from my body. The monsters that were using the tree as a battering ram and axes to hack at the wall disintegrate before they even know what hit them.

I stand in front of the monsters, blocking their path to the wall. The smell of death suddenly floods my nose, making me gag for a second. _How many are dead?_ Before I can make a move, a war cry pierces the air. I turn and face the wall, where I spot about a hundred of the older Demigods at camp jumping over the edge. _You've got to be kidding me. That a good 20ft._

"What you looking at blondy? We've got monsters to kill." Clarisse barks as she lands next to me. I can't help but grin at the Greeks, no way would the Romans ever do something like that. Without waiting for me to reply, the Greeks charge, screaming like banshees. I raise my sword and charge alongside them.

(Line Break)

The battle has been raging for about an hour and a half now, and the brief advantage we had is now being overturned. Arrows that were sailing overhead in a constant stream, are now coming over in inconsistent volleys, and we are steadily starting to lose people. _We need to retreat._

Frank still hasn't rejoined the fight yet, the clash with the Dragon must have really taken it out of him. I shoot a bolt of electricity through the lines of monsters to give myself a second of breathing room. I hear a pained cry and turn towards the sound, I see a son of Hephaestus punching a Hellhound with its jaw locked around his arm. I move to go and help him, when a pair of Cyclops' block my way. _Can't catch a break tonight._

I duck under a club as it swings for my head, and roll out the way of the fist that follows. I lunge at the nearest Cyclops and drive my sword into its leg, making it howl in pain. I then send an electrical charge through my blade and its leg explodes into dust, with the rest of its body slowly following. I duck under the club of the second Cyclops and punch it in the side with an electric fist, sending it flying into a group of Dracanae.

I spot Clarisse and begin to cut a path towards her. I stab a Hellhound through the back of it head as its about to lunge at her.

"Clarisse, we need to fall back!" I shout over the roar of monsters. She spins towards me with a wild look in her eyes, and gold dust covering her from head to toe.

"What're you talking about? We're doing fine." She growls, turning back towards the monster. _Has she got tunnel vision?_ I hear another cry of pain and turn and see a daughter of Hermes being pulled apart by a trio of Hellhounds. _No!_ I flash over to her and decapitate two of the Hellhounds in one swing; I then stab the last one through the throat as it turns to me. I quickly turn to the girl, but my heart drops as soon as I see her. Blood is pouring from all over and all her joint look like they've been pulled out of place, as they are all pointing in odd directions. _I was too slow. We need to fall back to the wall._

 _"_ _Piper, I know you're not in a great condition right now. But I really need your help."_ I plead to the sky.

 _"_ _I'm coming."_ She responds weakly, before appearing next to me. I quickly deflect an arrow that would have hit her, and pull her behind me.

"I need you to use your charmspeak to stop everyone." I tell her quickly. I feel her nod behind me and take a deep breath.

"Everyone stop fighting." She doesn't shout it, but it cuts through the night like a knife, and everyone slowly stops fighting. Well almost everyone, Clarisse is still hacking into the monsters like a machine. _Why isn't she stopping? Is she somehow immune?_

"Now, Demigods, return to the wall. Quick as you can now." Piper orders, her voice soft but commanding. All the able Demigods start to sprint back towards the wall, while the injured limp or crawl as fast as they can. The monster stand around looking confused, but you can see that some of them are starting to regain their bearings as they eye the slower Demigods. _I need to get them all out._

"Piper flash as many as you can to the wall." I order quickly, before flashing over to the nearest Demigod, a boy with an arrow through his shoulder. I quickly send him to the wall and move on to the next one.

It takes us less than a minute to flash all the injured away, but that is long enough for the monsters to get their heads back on straight and charge. I quickly look back at the wall and see that some of the Demigods are still climbing the wall. _I need more time._

"For Ares!" A voice screams from behind me. _You've got to be kidding me._ I turn and see Clarisse still fighting, cuts and gashes litter her body, but she doesn't seem to notice. _What is wrong with her?_ I quickly flash to her and grab her shoulder, making her spin around to me and slash at me. _I'd be lying if I wasn't a little scared of how she's acting._

"Clarisse we need to go." I appeal to her. But she either doesn't hear me, or doesn't care as she turns back to the monsters. _I can't flash her back like this, who knows what she'll do._ With a sigh I raise my sword. _Sorry Clarisse._ With a swift jab I hit Clarisse in the back of the head with the pommel, knocking her out. I catch her falling body and flash her back to the wall.

I look at the hundreds of monsters still in front of me and grin.

"I really must be bidding you all a good night." I say with mock politeness, as I call all the electricity I can to me. Arcs of electricity start to spark off of me and the smell of ozone fills the air. Sensing the danger all to late the monsters start to back away.

"Have you ever seen what a God of Thunder can do?" I ask jokingly, and when none of them reply my grin grows.

"Well let me show you then." I release all of the electricity I had collected and call down the largest barrage of lightning I can muster, decimating most of the army in front of me and sending the rest running for the hills. After my little display I flash back to the wall and take a knee to catch my breath. Piper crouches down next to me and rests her hand on my back.

"You did good." She whispers into my ear. But I can't bring myself to believe it. I look at all the bodies that litter that wall, and the bodies that are lying just past the wall. _So many dead, and the war hasn't even started yet._

"How's Frank?" I ask, turning my attention back to Piper, who is looking a million times better.

"He'll be fine, he's just a bit beat up." She reassures me, helping me to my feet. _That's good, if anything serious had happened to him we would have all been in for a world of pain._ I make my way down from the wall and towards Chiron, who is standing next to Will by the wounded. Chiron spots us and gives me a weak smile, while Will looks a little hollow.

"Chiron, we need to talk. We need to try and find out how that army got here without any of us knowing." I state, hating the words as they come out my mouth. _They need to mourn their lost, but we also need to be ready in case they attack again._ From the look in Chiron's eyes he knows what I'm thinking and gives me a small nod.

"I will collect all the Cabin Councillors and we will have a meeting in the big house." Chiron says, regaining some composure and trotting off. I turn to Will and see that he is focusing on a tablet in his hands, muttering things under his breath.

"Hey, Will." I start, guilt building in my chest. He looks up at me with his sad blue eyes and the guilt only grows.

"I'm sorry about Declan. I didn't know him, but if he was anything like you, then I'm sure he was a great guy." My breath catches in my throat as everything that just happened starts to set in.

"I was so close to him, but I couldn't help him. If I had been more alert and not focusing on the Dragon so much I might have noticed the axe." Will holds up a shaky hand and stops my rambling. His expression is dark and sad, but it doesn't look like he hates me. _Hopefully._

"Its not your fault Jason. No one could have seen that coming. To throw an axe with that much accuracy over such a distance is unheard of, so don't blame yourself. If anything, I should be thanking you for calling me over to take Tamzin away." He finishes with a weak smile, before turning towards the big house and walking away. _He's way too kind. I'd feel better if he shouted at me, even if it was just a little bit._

I turn back to Piper, who is looking a lot better than she was a few hours ago. _How odd._

"How're you doing?" I ask, taking her hands in mine. Her kaleidoscope eyes look tired, but are as beautiful as ever. "A lot better now. About an hour after you left the pain started to fade, and now there isn't any pain at all." She gives my hands a light squeeze and starts to walk towards the big house, pulling me along behind her.

 _We need to tell Percy and Reyna about this. I should probably tell Nico and Leo as well._

 **(Percy POV)**

These last few months have been pretty intense, even for New Rome. Ever since the attack at Montauk, Reyna has really packed on the training for the Legion, as well as for us. _Something's really got her motivated._ We spar every morning and evening, and I don't think I ever really appreciated how good she is with her sword and spear. _Because she's fucking amazing._

I can usually hear Midnight laughing from the sidelines, whenever our blades get locked together and we get a little too close. _Stupid wolf, ruining moments for me._

But what's been the most unsettling, is the fact that there have been zero monster sightings in the last 5 months. The Eagles haven't seen anything from the skies, our scouts turned up empty handed after their patrols. _Where could they be? Have they all gone down South?_

A soft hand on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts. I turn and look up at Reyna, who is standing behind me. Her eyes warm and loving, and a sweet smile on her lips. _She really is beautiful, even in a baggy jumper and tracksuit bottoms._

"What can I do for you Rey?" I ask, turning away from the desk I'm sitting at. She doesn't reply immediately, as she looks torn between something. _Is something bothering her?_

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her onto my lap, making her squeak quietly in surprise.

"Come on, what're you thinking about?" I inquire. For a second longer she doesn't look sure, but then she sets her face and turns to me.

"So, you know when we were at the beach?" She starts, sounding a little unsure. I nod in reply, not wanting to interrupt.

"You know the day when Poseidon visited you in the Ocean, at the same time someone spoke to me." She reveals, looking a little ashamed.

"As in a person person, or a Godly person?" I ask, sounding very intellectual. But I do make her smile a little, _so it's not all bad._

"I'm pretty sure it was a God, or I should say Goddess. But I don't know who it was, she didn't sound like any of the ones I've met and she gave me a warning." She says, sounding a little thoughtful. _That sounds kind of familiar._

"A kind of soothing voice that left you with a horrible sense of foreboding?" I ask with a sigh. Her eyebrows rise slightly as she looks at me.

"Yea, how did you know?" She asks, in slight disbelief.

"She's the one that told me about the war." I shrug, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Well she told me that something was coming for us, and that it doesn't matter where we are. It will find us." She informs me. _Sounds great._ This must be why she's packed on the training for everyone.

"Well I guess we can add it to the list of shit trying to ruin our lives." I say tiredly, nuzzling into her neck.

"Are you not upset that I didn't tell you?" She questions.

"Nah, I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm glad you told me now though." I reply, lifting her up as I slowly stand. I feel her giggle into my chest more than hear, as she snuggles closer to me.

"But for now, let's just go to bed. I'm knackered." I concede, feeling my body begin to slow from exhaustion. As I get to the bottom of the stairs the front door flies open and someone comes barrelling into the house. Before I can even turn around, a flash of black streaks past and tackles the intruder. I turn around lazily and look at the person being pinned by Midnight with interest. _Is that Dakota?_

I take a step towards them and see that it is in fact Dakota. _What's he doing here?_ Midnight realises who it is and steps of the terrified Praetor.

 _"_ _Good job, even if it is just Dakota."_ I laugh at Midnight. She shoots me an annoyed look.

 _"_ _Your welcome. Next time I'll let the potential attacker run free."_ She sighs, before trotting up to me with a flicker of a grin. _Sarcastic little shit._

"Dakota, what're you doing here?" I ask the boy still lying on the floor, a look of terror on his face. It takes him a second, but he regains his bearings and stands up.

"R-right, we got a message. Someone important is coming to visit New Rome tomorrow." He answers. _Well that's now vague as all._

"Do we know who this someone is going to be?" I ask, readjusting my hold on Reyna. Who seems pretty content where she is.

"No, we weren't given any specific information. Only that they are coming, and that they want to meet you two." He relays. _Of course they do._ I sigh and look down at Reyna, who jut kind of smiles in a way that says, _are you really that surprised?_

"Alright, well thanks for the message. I guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow." I say as Dakota heads for the door. I lock the door behind him and make my way back to the stairs.

"Life's never quiet is it." I grin, walking up the stairs.

"It would be boring if it was." Is all Reyna says as she closes her eyes.

 _Well if they sent a message ahead, it can't be that bad. Right?_

 ** _A/N: Hey all you wonderful people, sorry about the delay on the update. But like I said before I'm at college now, so my updates are going to be a bit slow._**

 ** _But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, let me know if there are any problems with my writing and I'll try and fix it._**

 ** _See you all next time._**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

I'm standing in a barren landscape, dyed red and burning with the intensity of the sun. The ground beneath my feet is burning through the soles of my shoes, the air around me slowly suffocating me. _I can't be back here! I got out!_

I look around frantically, but in every direction I turn the endless plains of Tartarus spread out before me. Fear slowly starts to claw its way up my spine and I take off sprinting, not really knowing which direction I'm going in. _I need to find the doors! I need to find the River Phlegethon!_

I run until the air is so suffocating that I can't breathe, and the soles of my shoes are torn to pieces by the sharp rocks that make up the floor. I drop into a crouch to try and catch my breath. _How did I even end up back in here? Is Reyna safe? I hope she's not down here too._

"Percy!" A familiar voice calls, sounding distant. _No! It can't be._ I quickly stand back up and run in the direction the voice came from, praying to every God I can think of.

"Percy are you there?" The voice calls again, sounding a lot closer than before. _Please let me get there first._

"Percy?" A different voice calls out, stopping me dead in my tracks. _Wait, that's impossible._ Breaking from my stupor, I carry on running towards the voices. It takes me about a minute to reach the source of the voices, and to my horror, it's exactly who I thought it would be. Chained up on the cliff face that now towers before me is Reyna. But what really drives the shock home is that Annabeth is chained up next to her.

"Percy! Thank the Gods, you have to get us down from here." Reyna says, sounding relieved. I give them both a quick once over, they both look a little beat up but other than that they look fine. My voice fails me as I try and reply, so I just run forward and cut the chains with Riptide and envelop Reyna in a hug before turning to Annabeth, putting Riptide back in my pocket.

"How are you here? I thought you went for rebirth?" I question her with a horse sounding voice, as she just looks at me a little confused.

"As I was heading for the gate for rebirth, someone wearing a long black cloak appeared and brought me here." She quickly explains, throwing a quick glance between Reyna and myself. _This feels a little awkward._

"So you are here!" I dark voice booms, before laughing like a maniac. I quickly spin around and look for the source of the voice, but I don't see anyone or thing.

"Who are you?" I call out, scanning the hazy surroundings.

"Me? Why I'm the harbinger of you doom, _Perseus Jackson._ " The voice mocks, as shadowy outlines of monsters start to appear in the haze in front of us. Before I can make a retort about how corny his last comment was, a twister of shadows erupts from the ground just in front of the now very visible monsters for a second and deposits a tall man in a black cloak. _That was a pretty cool entrance, I'll give him that._

"Well what do you want?" I shout at the cloaked man. Which makes him and all the monsters laugh.

"Why I want you dead of course. See you're a bit of an annoyance, and I can't have you interfering with my plans like you did with Gaea." The cloaked man says, sounding painfully calm. _How can I interfere with his plans if I don't know who he is or what he's been doing?_

"You see, I'm the one that has been sending the… Let's say unique, monsters after you. I am a little disappointed that none of them managed to kill you, but you're here now." He finished gesturing to his surroundings. _He's the one responsible for all those black goo monsters. So he's a Primordial then._

"Correct you are Halfling, I am Erebus, Primordial of Darkness and Mist at your service." The now named Erebus bows slightly, his tone mocking. _Great, another dick of a God._

"Well sorry to inform you, but I won't be going down that easy." I grin, reaching for Riptide in my pocket. But it's not there, I pat my pockets in a panic as a sharp intake of air behind me makes me turn around. What I see shatters my heart. Annabeth is holding Riptide, which is planted firmly in Reyna's chest. All the strength in my legs seems to just disappear, making me crash to my knees. _Why would she do this?_

"Why Annabeth? Why would you do this?" I demand, watching as Reyna slowly collapses.

"Why the reason is pretty obvious Percy. Immortality." Annabeth says, slowly turning towards me. But something is wrong with her face, her mouth spreads way to far across her face and her eyes are massively too big. _That's not Annabeth._

"What are you?" I ask, slowly crawling towards Reyna.

"I believe my master calls us Shades. But in essence we are just shadows." The Shade replies, slowly morphing into a tall slender shadow with emerald eyes. I get to Reyna's side, her breathing is slow and her eyes a distant. _Not again!_

"Hey there stranger." She says weakly, a small smile at the edge of her lips.

"Hey." Is all I can manage to say without crying. She notices and her smile grows a fraction.

"Hey now, don't cry over me. You've got fighting to do, so get up and get too it." She orders light heartedly. _Halfway dead and she's still giving me orders._ But she's right and I steel my nerves. I look down at Riptide, still sticking out of her chest. I look back up at her and she gives me a small nod.

"If there's a bar wherever I end up, I'll save you a drink." She promises quietly, still smiling. I wrap my hand around Riptide and give her one last smile.

"I'll hold you to that." I reply, pulling Riptide out in one smooth motion. Reyna gasps quietly, but then her body goes limp. The light finally leaving her eyes. As I go to stand up, everything around me starts to dissolve. The hellish landscape of Tartarus, the weird shape shifting Shade, the small group of monsters, the man in the cloak and even Reyna in my arms. _What is happening?_ Everything dissolves until I am floating in darkness. _Well this is pleasant._

"This is just the beginning of what will happen if you defy me Demigod. Your loved ones will die, all of them. One by one, all of them just out of reach of you." Erebus mocks. But he has done nothing except ignite my determination to stop him.

"Over my dead body." I growl, making him laugh.

"That can be arranged you know." Erebus jokes, making my anger build up even more.

The pressure of someone's hands on my shoulders as they lightly shake me pulls me out of my horrific dreamscape. My eyes fly open and the image of Reyna's face fills my vision, a look of concern marring her features. In a flash I'm up and hugging her, feeling tears slowly creeping up at the corner of my eyes as my heart pounds in my chest.

"It's ok, everything's fine." Reyna reassures in a hushed voice, slowly stroking my hair.

"It was just a dream." She continues. Slowly I feel my heart slow and my panic recede.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asks, her voice soft and caring. I take a slow shaky breath before nodding and sitting back. I quickly explain my dream to Reyna. She doesn't say anything, which I am infinitely grateful for, and when I get to the bit about her dying she barely even blinks. _Either she has a great poker face, or maybe she's just not that worried._

"I know we can have some horrible dreams, and that sometimes they can be somewhat precognitive. But I get the feeling Erebus was just trying to get under your skin, trying to break you down mentally." Reyna suggests after I finish, analysing my dream a little.

"But he's being arrogant, he's shown us a new weapon. Sure it can change form and look like anyone we know, but if we think of some measures to take we'll be ready for when they start to appear." She says, dropping into her tactical mind with her brow furrowed in thought. _She even looks cute like this._

"I guess your right." I concede, feeling a little better but still feeling in a pretty foul mood.

"But I think I'm going to pass on today and take it easy. I don't want to snap at someone by accident, just because I'm in a bad mood." I say, lying back down in bed closing my eyes.

"Nope." Reyna laughs a little, poking my nose. _What? Why?_ I groan, pulling the duvet up and over my head.

"Why?" I ask, the annoyance clear in my voice. I feel Reyna move around on the bed for a second before stopping. _This can't be good._ _What's she up to? I can't even hear her breathing._ As I'm about to peak out from under the duvet, she suddenly appears under the duvet with me and pushes me out of the bed. I fall on the floor fairly unceremoniously with a low groan. _That was mean._ Her sweet laugh fills the room and my building anger vanishes. _Can't stay mad at her even if I try._

"I feel there are other methods you could have used. Less violent and painful methods." I complain, pulling myself into a sitting position, looking up at her as she grins triumphantly down at me.

"So why can't I stay in today?" I ask, rubbing my head slightly, feeling like I'm forgetting something important.

"We have a meeting today. Someone important is come to speak with us at some point." She informs me, raising an eyebrow at me in disbelief. _Oh yea, Dakota got tackled by Midnight to tell us that._ I grin at the memory of Dakota getting tackled and pull myself to my feet.

"Oh yea, I forgot about that." I say more to myself than her. Reyna rolls her eyes at me and walks towards the bathroom.

"You'd better get ready soon, we don't know when our guest is going to turn up." She sighs a little, closing the door behind her.

 _She hate's not knowing these kind of things._

(A Few Hours Later)

Reyna is sitting at her desk, tapping her hand impatiently as she flicks through some papers. I'm lying on a small sofa that she has recently decided to put in her study. _Maybe due to a little complaining about having nowhere to sit from someone._ Lazily I run my hand through Midnights fur, trying to get over the horrible mood my dream left me in. But the images of what happened keep flashing through my mind, and it felt so real.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Reyna says, putting the papers she was looking at down. _That's a little formal._

"Um, sure. What's up?" I return, feeling a little nervous. _She hasn't acted so formal since we first met._

"Why do you have a gray streak in your hair?" She asks a little shyly. _Really? She got all serious about that?_ A small laugh escapes me, making her glare at me a little bit.

"What?" She snaps, cutting my laugh short.

"Sorry, you just sounded really serious and I thought you were going to ask about… well… something more serious." I joke, turning to look at Reyna. Who is looking somewhere between nervous, annoyed and outright murderous. _Probably not the best combination._

"To answer your question, I held up the sky once." I inform her, making her eyes bulge slightly.

"You held up the sky?" She asks incredulously, walking over to me.

"Yep, only for a little while." I add as she sits on the floor next to Midnight, leaning against the sofa right next to me.

"How did you end up in that situation?" She asks, stroking Midnight. Sorrow stabs me in the side as the memories come flooding back to me.

"It's actually a pretty interesting story. Met Nico and his sister Bianca for the first time, and the Hunters of Artemis. Also saved Artemis from Atlas, or I guess more like she saved me." I finish thoughtfully, turning to her.

"You know, that really doesn't explain how it all happened." She tells me, making me sigh a little. It takes me about half an hour to fully explain what happened that year. I just about managed to keep my voice from cracking when I told her about Annabeth. Reyna just looks at me in surprise, while Midnight whines quietly as I spoke about Zoë.

 _"_ _You ok?"_ I ask Midnight, who is whining quietly. She looks up at me with her sad silver eyes, a quiet whine building in her throat.

 _"_ _Yea. I just miss her so much."_ She replies, sounding on the verge of tears.

 _"_ _I know, so do I little lady. So do I."_ I say, stroking her head.

"I just can't believe all that happened." Reyna says, disbelief all over her face. _I guess it would be a lot to take in if you weren't there._

"Can you tell me about your other quests sometime?" She asks with interest filling her beautiful eyes.

"Sure." Before I can say anything else a shimmering screen appears in the air in front of us, showing the beaming face of Alice. _I guess our guest is here._

"You won't believe who's come to see you guys." Alice starts, sounding extremely excited. _This really sounds like more trouble than I am willing to deal with today._

"Just come to the Senate building." She finishes, swiping her hand through the iris message. I lean over and kiss Reyna on the top of her head, before forcing myself to my feet.

"I guess we should go say hello to our guest." I sigh, helping her up.

(Line Break)

As we're walking to the Senate house I can feel the edginess from my dream start to trickle back, along with the shattering despair and destructive rage. _Just what I need when I'm meeting someone new._

"Are you alright?" Reyna asks, sounding a little worried. _I must be doing a terrible job at hiding my mood._

"Probably not. I just want to get this over with as soon as I can, and go and sleep off whatever this mood is." I reply, trying to keep my voice level.

"How about we take the rest of the day off after this meeting. Spend the rest of the day relaxing, and doing whatever we want." Reyna suggests with a bright smile. _That sounds like a great idea._

"Yea, I think I can get on board with that plan." I say, returning her smile. I feel Midnight brush up against the side of my leg and I look down at her with an appreciative smile.

 _"_ _I'm sorry to be putting you through this terrible mood, it must be running rampant in your head."_ I apologise. But she only shakes her head at me.

 _"_ _It's fine. I'd be a pretty bad partner if I let this get to me."_ She reassures me, trying to sound as upbeat as she can. _How lucky am I that I ended up with these two._ We reach the Senate building, and we are greeted with squad of Legionaries guarding the door. _Why do they have weapons?_ They all salute in unison when we approach, and two of them open the doors to the Senate house for us. Which sends a nervous shiver down my spine. I glance at Reyna out of the corner of my eye, she has her usual stoic mask on, but I can see it in her eyes that she is a little unsettled as well. _Good, it's not just me._

We slowly make our way into the building, where all the Senators are sitting quietly. None of them are even whispering, which freaks me out a little. I spot Alice and Dakota, who are both looking a little sullen. _Well this can't be good, what bummed out Alice?_

As we make our way into the centre of the room, I notice a woman standing off to the side. She's fairly tall, has long black hair, black eyes and is dressed for a fight. _She kind of looks like Reyna._ Reyna gasps when she spots the woman and freezes. I look at Reyna a little confused by her reaction. _Does she know this lady?_ But Reyna has paled significantly and her eyes have widened with fear, immediately putting me on even more of an edge.

"Consul, Praetorian, thank you for joining us so promptly." Dakota states formally, looking a little nervous. _What in Poseidon's name is going on here?_ Reyna nods in response and heads to her chair, with me close on her heels.

"Actually Percy, could you wait there please." Alice commands more than asks. A feeling of unease settles in my stomach as I walk back to the centre of the room. _What's going on?_ Reyna hesitates for a second on her way to her chair. But I give her a nearly unperceivable nod and she carries on. I quickly scan the room, everyone avoids my gaze. Opting to look anywhere but at me. Well, almost everyone. The woman standing off to the side is glaring at me, and I'm pretty certain if looks could kill, I would have been killed at least ten times by now.

"Percy Jackson!" Alice calls out loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. _Yea, she's definitely using a reassuring tone._

"You have been chosen for a new mission." Alice says, a little quieter this time.

"Eh?" Is my eloquent response. _Why is everyone so serious about a mission?_ The woman scoffs to herself, muttering something.

"You have been chos-"

"Yea, I got that. But everyone seems a little too serious for a mission, also this seems a little different to how things are usually done." I cut Dakota off from repeating the statement. Dakota's eyes flash to the woman for a second and then back to me, telling me everything I need to know. I turn to the woman, who is leaning against a pillar with a serious glare still plastered across her face. _Who is this lady?_

"Sorry, I don't think we've met. Who are you?" I ask politely, making everyone in the room pale a fraction. The woman smirks and walks towards me.

"I am Bellona, Goddess of War, Destruction and Devastation boy." Bellona states, a dangerous glint in her eyes. _Great, another war God._

 _Wait one Gods damned second! Did she just say Bellona? As in Reyna's mum?_ I glance at Reyna, who is looking mortified and terrified at the same time. _Is she scared of her own mother?_ I slowly drop to a knee and bow my head to Bellona.

"It's an honour to meet you my Lady." I say formally, waiting for her to allow me to stand up. She takes her time before saying I can stand and when I do, she is still glaring murder at me.

"I am here to tell you that you have been chosen to go south and eliminate the forces amassing there." She informs me with a malicious grin. _Why does she seem happy about sending me on what sounds like a suicide mission._ My thoughts go back to what Poseidon told me all those months ago. _I guess it's all starting then._ I stand a little straighter and look Bellona in the eye.

"How many am I aloud to take on this mission?" I ask, hoping for a small army. But expecting only two to help me.

"That has also already been decided." She replies quickly, turning a bored look on Reyna. _Surely she can't be suggesting just Reyna and me. How do they expect the two of us to stop, what I'm expecting to be, a large horde of monsters._

"Just us two?" I question a little uncertain. Bellona turns back to me, her grin turning a little sadistic as her eyes burn with anticipation of war. _She's just the same as Ares._

"Yes, just you two." A small laugh escaping her. She walks up to me and leans in close to my ear.

"I do not condone your relationship with my daughter, despair, pain and death follows you like your own shadow. Even if it is only Reyna, I will put an end to it." She finishes.

"I'd like to see you try." I snap, feeling the heat build on my shoulder and the ground tremble slightly. But she just laughs and then disappears in a flash of gold. _Why does it sound like she doesn't like Reyna?_ The silence in the Senate hall is deafening, as everyone is unsure of what to do or even say. Some even look a little shocked that I shouted at a Goddess. I look up at Reyna, who is looking down at her lap, fear making her tremble a little. _What did Bellona do to her?_

I walk over to her and rest my hand on her shoulder and she looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Are you ok?" I ask quietly, so that no one else can hear us. She slowly shakes he head and then rests her forehead on my chest.

"No, but can we talk about it when we go back home." She almost begs, which makes my blood boil more. _What the fuck happened to make her act like this?_ But I just nod and turn back to the rest of the Senators.

"Well you heard the lady. Reyna and I will be leaving for this 'mission' tomorrow morning. Dismissed." I call out, helping Reyna to her feet and walking he out of the building. Much to the grumblings of some of the Senators, but all I'm thinking about is getting Reyna out of here. _Isn't there usually more to being sent on a mission? Like a prophecy! Or whatever Romans call it._

I guide the still shell shocked Reyna through the streets of New Rome, earning a few worried looks from the people walking around. I smile at them and carry on walking as fast as I can back towards her house. When we get to the house, I quickly close and lock the door and then guide her into the living room. I sit her down on the couch and kneel down in front of her. _I've seen her face insurmountable odds without batting an eye. What's got her so worked up?_

"Do you want me to get you anything?" I ask quietly, lifting her head so that I can look her in the eye. Her gaze is cloudy and distant, almost as if she is remembering something awful.

"How about some hot chocolate?" I ask. Her eyes remain distant but she nods slowly, making me relax a little. I quickly make a cup of hot chocolate and walk back into the living room. Reyna has removed her cloak and armour and is now clutching a pillow to her chest. I rest a hand on her shoulder and pull her from thoughts, I offer her a small smile and hand her the hot chocolate. I will my armour away in a flurry of flames and sit on the coffee table in front of her, I rest a hand on her knee and wait quietly for her to start talking to me.

It takes a few minutes and the whole cup of hot chocolate for her to finally relax enough to look ready enough to talk.

"Firstly, I suppose I should tell you how old I am." She starts a little shakily. _Wasn't she like 16 or something before being made immortal?_

"Did you know that Circe made her attendants immortal?" She inquired quietly, sending a wave of shock through me. _Surely not._

"Hylla and I were on Circe's island for 125 years before you turned up, and… well you know why I left that place." She adds with a weak smile. _125 years! You've got to be kidding me._

"That wasn't really my fault. I was a guinea pig for most of that part." I try and counter, only to earn a mocking grin. _I should not have reminded her about that._

"Anyway before we went to the island and after we ran away from our fathers house, Bellona actually took us in for a while." She continues, taking a slow breath. I feel the surprise wash over my face, _she lived with a Goddess._

"W-well, that's a bit of a surprise." Is all that I can really think of. _How the hell am I supposed to process that? Wait, I thought that Gods could do that._

"But isn't there some kind of law against that?" I query.

"Well yes, but she did it in secret. _Obviously."_ She quickly replies.

"Anyway, those years were worse than the ones spent with my father. She trained us relentlessly everyday and beat us whenever we made mistakes." Her voice catches for a second, the memories flashing behind her eyes. I give her knee a gentle squeeze, earning a small smile.

"Hylla always said that we ran away from her because of the coming war, but the main reason was because she didn't want Bellona to kill me." She says slowly. _Kill her? That seems a little extreme._

"But why would she want to kill you? You're her daughter." Disbelief filling my words, but she just looks down into her lap, giving me the only answer I need.

"I always tried so hard to impress her. Did my best to improve and make her happy, but I was never good enough for her. There were 3 or 4 times when she beat me so badly that I was unconscious for weeks, once it was a couple of months." She reveals. _It is literally one thing after another, how did she survive all of that?_

She takes a slow breath and turns slightly, pulling her toga off and revealing her back and side. _Not going to lie, I'm a little lost._

Reyna mutters something in Latin under her breath, she glows purple for a second and then scars start to appear on her skin. Almost as if someone is drawing them on. _Well that's a neat trick._

Her back and side is covered in scars, some small and faint, a few long and ragged. _Beeline did this?_

I slowly turn Reyna and see that the scars also cover her chest and stomach.

"I just felt so ashamed about it, and I never thought that something like this would ever happen." She concedes, but her expression turns a little more serious after a second as she pulls her toga back on.

"But for her to turn up here today, to deliver a mission no less. Something's wrong with this whole situation." Her mood instantly changing as she looks back up at me with analytical eyes.

"What did she say to you before she left?" She asks, her black eyes calculating.

"That she didn't approve of us, and that she's going to end it." I recall. Rage builds in Reyna's eyes, but as she goes to stand I stop her.

"How dare she! How dare she think she can just interfere with my life now!" She shouts, making Midnight come charging into the room.

 _"_ _What's going on?"_ Midnight asks a little worriedly.

 _"_ _Just some parental issues that may lead to me getting attacked by a Goddess."_ I reply, making her tilt her head to the side in confusion.

"Reyna, nothing she can do will ever make me leave you. No matter what, I will stay by your side." I state, grabbing her hands. But Reyna just shakes her head, her anger diminishing as fast as it appeared.

"You don't understand. She'll kill you." She cries, dropping her head.

"Well she'll just have to get in line." I joke, earning a half hearted glare. But it soon turns into a small smile, which I return readily.

"Now, what are we going to do with the rest of our day?" I ask, trying to lighten the whole situation. But before Reyna can reply, the shimmering screen of an iris message appears next to us showing Jason's face. _Well he looks beat up._

"Percy, Reyna, I'm going to cut to the chase. Camp Half-Blood was attacked last night." He says, turning my blood to ice.

"What's the situation?" Reyna asks, flipping to a much more military mind.

"We managed to repel the monsters, but we lost about 40 campers." _40 campers!_

"But we have even worse news." He starts, looking around for a second.

"They had one of the Dragons that pulled Helios' chariot, and it beat Frank and me around like ragdolls. Not gonna lie, it was not one of my better moments." He finishes, looking a little guilty. _A Dragon! They exist?_ Reyna looks thoughtful for a second, all the fear and worry from seeing Bellona dissipating.

"We'll have to tell Dakota and Alice to increase the boarder patrols while we are away, just in case there is an attack here as well." Reyna says, turning to me while I nod. _But I doubt there is anyone here who could deal with a Dragon, unless Frank and Hazel turn up to fight it._

"Wait, where are you guys going? Another romantic getaway?" Jason grins, making Reyna glare daggers at him. Which in turn makes him flinch away in fear. _Isn't he supposed to be the all powerful God here?_

"We're being sent down South to find and destroy an army." I tell him with a small shrug as I stand up.

"Just the two of you?" He asks, sounding a little angry. _I get the feeling bro._ I nod as I stretch, and the anger slowly builds in his eyes.

"This is ridiculous, they can't just send he two of you to fight a whole army by yourselves. What was the prophecy?" He rages a little, making me grin.

"We don't actually have one. Bellona just rocked up and said that we have been chosen to go." I inform him calmly, watching as electricity begins to arc off him a little.

"Reel it in sparky, I just tidied this room." Piper pipes up, sounding stern as she taps him on the head and appears next to Jason.

"But it is a bit odd only sending the two of you, isn't sending three like a law?" She adds, while Jason nods along seeming to have calmed down a bit.

"Yes, it is a bit unorthodox. But we have to obey the Gods when it comes to things like this." Reyna states, sounding like a bit of a drone. _I don't think I've ever really obeyed the Gods when it's come to things I disagreed with._

"Don't worry guys, we'll get it done and be back before anyone even notices." I try for a reassuring tone, but I can feel the anxiety and anger coming through.

"I'm going to talk to some Gods, see if I can find out why this feels so off." Jason says, I nod in response and turn to Piper.

"Ok, well if you guys need any help give us a call and we'll do what we can." Piper says with a smile.

"Will do Pipes. Bye." I reply, swiping my hand through the projection.

 _"_ _So I guess we're going on another trip."_ Midnight speaks up, jumping up onto the sofa next to Reyna and laying her head onto her lap.

 _"_ _Yep, and I get the feeling that this is going to be the hardest trip yet."_ I reply with a mental sigh. I look down at Reyna who is now deep in thought and smile to myself. _At least she seems to be in a better mood._ I tap her on the shoulder to get her attention, and when she looks at me her eyes look back to normal. _That's good._

"So, do we still have the day off?" I ask, still smiling. Her expression lightens and a smile slowly spreads across her lips.

"Yea, that's still the plan. What do you want to do?" She asks, as I pull her to her feet.

"I'm sure we'll think of something." I grin, pulling her into a kiss.

 _"_ _Ew, get a room!"_ Midnight groans, which almost makes me laugh out loud.

 _"_ _Technically we're in a room."_ I laugh back at her. But she's had enough and just jumps at us, which makes me spin Reyna around so that I can catch the flying wolf.

"Is someone a little jealous?" I joke at the wolf in my arms, which makes Reyna laugh as Midnight groans.

 _Now what to do with the day?_

(The Next Day)

Reyna and I wake up at the crack of dawn to put the final pieces together for our mission, thankfully I didn't have any bad dreams. I look into the bag I got from Hestia, I've got a large pack of Ambrosia, a two litre thermos filled with Nectar, a sleeping bag, some extra clothes and a pouch filled with Drachma and Denari. I slip a couple of bottles of water into pouches on the outside of the bag and attach Cyclone to the side of it.

I make sure that I have my armour pendant on and slip it under my navy t-shirt. I pull my armoured trousers and boots on and tie my hair back. _Yea, Reyna taught me how to tie my hair up properly so that it doesn't get in my eyes._ I slip into my long coat and put my bag over my shoulder. _Right, I'm good to go._

I turn to Reyna and the air is pulled from my lungs. She's wearing armoured trousers similar to mine, a purple t-shirt, _probably a Camp Jupiter shirt,_ her armour and her cloak. It's not like she's wearing anything that she doesn't normally wear, but the way the morning sun is making her armour and cloak sparkle gives her an almost ethereal look.

She spots me staring and looks confused for a second.

"What is it? Have I got something on my face?" She asks, looking at the mirror on the wall.

"N-no, sorry. I was just thinking how beautiful you look." I say, walking over to her. Her cheeks flush red, but she smiles and raises an eyebrow at me.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to flirt with me Jackson." She grins, taking a step towards me.

"That's if I had any idea how to actually flirt." I grin, making her laugh. _Haha, it's funny because it's true._ I pick her up and spin around, making her laugh louder. _I wish we could just stay like this. Who knows what's going to happen when we leave, the odds are just so heavily stacked against us._ Reyna kissing my forehead pulls me from my nervous thoughts. I stop spinning and set he down and give her a quick kiss.

"You ready?" I ask.

"Probably as much as I'll ever be." She replies, picking up a backpack and heading towards the door. We pick Midnight up from the living room, much to her annoyance at the time we came bursting in, and then we head towards the stables.

(Line Break)

Anger pours through me as we arrive at the stable to find Blackjack and Guido in horrible states. Both of them sicker than anything, lying on the floor. _Well, there goes our transport for the mission._

"What do we do now?" I ask Reyna, who looks like she's trying to think of a new plan. _This is a great start to the mission._

 _"_ _I'm sorry boss, some lady gave us some food last night and ever since we've be so sick."_ Blackjack apologises with a quiet neigh.

"Do you know who the woman was?" I ask, silently pledging to destroy whoever made my horse sick.

 _"_ _No, she seemed kind but was laughing when she left. Sorry."_ He replies downheartedly.

"It's ok buddy, you two just focus on getting better. We'll see you when we get back." I say, petting his head. I turn back to Reyna and see that she's drawing a blank. _Well I guess desperate times. I bet Bellona is behind this, now I have two reasons to have a little 'chat' with her._

I walk out of the stables and look at the blue morning sky.

 _"_ _Hestia, we have a bit of a problem with transportation. Both Blackjack and Guido are ill and we don't have any other means to travel. Is there anything you can do?"_ I pray to Hestia, hoping that she is feeling extra generous today. I wait for a second, watching the sky for any sign that she heard me. But when a minute passes I begin to lose hope. _Maybe she can't always hear me._

I'm about to walk back into the stables and see if Reyna has come up with anything, when a small fire explodes just in front of me. I jump about 10ft into the air in shock, but manage to recover just as Reyna comes out to investigate the sound. "

What was that?" She asks, her sword in hand as she looks around.

"Sorry, that was my fault." I concede, turning to where the explosion happened. As the flames begin to die down, I can just about start to make out the outline of something within the flames. _What is that?_ As the flames finally die, left in their place is a beautiful Harley Davidson 2018 Breakout. Excitement builds in my chest as I turn to a shocked Reyna, who has an expression that says, _you have got to be kidding me._

I walk up to the bike and two helmets appear, a black one and a crimson one. I take the black one and hold the crimson one out to Reyna.

"Do you know how to ride one of these?" She asks, taking a hesitant step towards the bike and grabbing the helmet.

"Yea, of course I do." I reply with and excited smile. I look down at Midnight, who isn't looking very fazed.

 _"_ _You ok with running alongside us?"_ I ask Midnight, who just yawns at me. _I' guess that's a yes._ I jump onto the bike, push the helmet onto my head and flip down the tinted visor, I then turn to Reyna and wait for her to climb on behind me. She does, albeit fairly reluctantly and clings to me. _Is she scared of bikes?_

I turn the bike on and rev it, shattering the quiet morning. _I'm going to enjoy this._

I point the bike towards the tunnel and move off at a steady pace, with Midnight trotting alongside us, looking very happy. _I guess we're off then._

 _Wait! Where are we even going?_

 ** _A/N: Here's the next one guys, sorry for the delay I've been really pressed to finish some projects at college (which I am still yet to finish). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and you guys know the drill._**

 ** _So I'll catch you next time._**


	25. Chapter 25

**I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: Just wanted to warn you that this chapter is definitely the longest chapter to date.**

 **(Reyna POV)**

(6 Weeks Later)

6 weeks, that's how long Percy and I have been driving around the southern States and we have found nothing. _Literally nothing at all, like how is that even possible. We haven't exactly been subtle._

We haven't even run into any roaming monsters or rouge Gods, which is a little unsettling. _Surely we would have seen something by now, even if Percy was just a son of Poseidon he would attract numerous monsters._

We are currently driving through Houston, looking for a place to stop for the night. _Even though we've been slumming it outside recently._ Percy stops the bike outside a fancy looking hotel and flicks the visor on his helmet up.

"Shall we stay here for the next few days?" He asks, looking back over his shoulder. His sea green and crimson eyes look tired but no less mesmerising. I look over at the hotel, and the first thing to grab my attention is 5 small stars under the name. _Of course he would pick a 5-star hotel. Does he think that we are made of money?_

"I can pay for this one. So don't worry about it." He says, turning the bike off. _How can he afford it?_

I climb off of the bike, pull my helmet off and run a hand through my now flat hair. Percy slides off the bike and pulls his helmet off, revealing his usual messy hair.

"How can you afford for us to stay here for a few nights?" I ask, pulling my bag onto my shoulder.

"Um… Let's say it's a gift from Hestia. Well, I think it is anyway." He replies nervously, pulling a wallet out of his bag. It's a simple black leather wallet, but printed on the front is a flame and when he opens it, a row of cards line the inside. I'm speechless, I really have no idea what to say. There's what looks like bankcards, a driving license and, _is that a PADI Dive Master card?_

"When did you get that?" I finally ask, making him shrug.

"I have no idea. I just found it in my bag after we left New Rome. Do you think they'll let Midnight stay in the room with us?" He asks me as we walk into the hotel, Midnight trotting happily behind us. Before I can ask any more questions, _like why he hadn't mentioned this earlier and why then did we camp outside for the last few weeks?_

"Hello, and welcome to the JW Marriott Hotel." The receptionist cuts through my thoughts with a sickeningly sweet voice, that sounds a little too forced and a fake smile plastered over her face.

"Hi there, I was wondering if we could get a room for the next 5 days?" Percy asks, leaning on the counter with a smile. The receptionists face flushes red slightly as she looks at Percy with a shy smile and then looks away quickly. _He has no idea what effect he has._

"I'm afraid we only have a King room available. It's a one bedroom suite, with a king sized bed." She informs us, sounding a little apologetic.

"We'll take it." Percy replies, no hesitation what so ever. Surprising the receptionist and me.

"But that'll be like $1098" She says, giving Percy a look like, _can you really afford that?_

"Yea, don't worry about it. I can pay for it now if that makes you feel better." He adds, pulling out a red card from his wallet and handing it to her. She runs the card and her eyes widen in shock as she looks back at Percy.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume -" Percy cuts her off by raising his hand and smiles.

"It's ok, I get it all the time." Percy says nonchalantly, lying smoothly. _All the time being this once._

"Also, would it be ok if my dog stayed in the room?" Percy asks. The receptionist looks down at Midnight, who is sitting next to Percy and looking around the foyer. She looks back up at Percy and gives a small shrug. _I wonder what she looks like to her._

"I don't see why not." She says as she hands Percy a key card and points us in the direction of the lift, looking a little disheartened when he grabs my hand while we walk away.

I would be lying if I said that the room wasn't impressive. It has a sitting area, a pretty big bedroom and an en suite bathroom. I drop my backpack on the floor and fall onto the massive bed, which is way too comfortable to really comprehend right now. _Riding a motorbike for 6 six weeks and sleeping outside really takes it out of you._

I can hear Midnights paws tapping on the floor as she jumps around a little excited. _What's got her so happy?_ I role over and see Percy playing with her, which can probably be defined better as play fighting. I can't help but smile at the sight, seeing such genuine joy from both of them is still relatively rare. He may seem all put back together, but I know there are a few things that haunt him.

"So what do we do now?" He asks, carrying a smiling Midnight in his arms.

"I mean we haven't seen anything in 6 weeks. You would think we would at least have some kind of clue by now." He continues, putting Midnight on the floor before falling onto the bed next to me. _He's not wrong._

"Well Bellona was a bit vague when she said South, because unless she meant Mexico. We've got way to much country to search." I say, a little exacerbated. _Couldn't be nice for once, could you mum._

"Bellona was a bit stingy with the information, wasn't she?" Percy sighs, closing his eyes. _Maybe we should ask someone for help?_

"Do you reckon Nico is busy at the moment?" Percy asks suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence we had fallen into.

"I don't know. He does have to help Pluto now, so he's probably busy with that. Why?" I ask, rolling onto my side to look at him.

"I was going to ask him to help us find this 'enemy camp'." Is all he says in response, his face deep in thought. _It's not the worst idea ever. But I'm sure Nico is too busy to help._

"Well I'm sure he's probably too busy, but why don't we ask him anyway?" I suggest, pushing myself up onto my elbows. Percy's eyes flash open with excitement.

"Really?" He asks, sounding like he's expecting me to say, _no it's a stupid idea._

"Yea, it's not like we have any other leads to go off and he does always seem to possess information on just about everything." I reply, struggling to contain my laugh as Percy shoots to his feet. _He is such a child sometimes._ Percy runs into the bathroom and turns the tap on for a second, before he comes rushing back into the room with a ball of water. He then walks over to the window and turns the water into a fine mist, creating a small rainbow. He quickly recites the prayer and throws a Drachma into the rainbow, and after a few seconds an image appears. The back of head and a very dark room is all that we can see. _I'm going to guess that's Nico's head._

"Hey Nico!" Percy all but shouts at the back of his head, making Nico jump slightly before turning around.

"By the Gods Percy, you nearly gave me heart attack." Nico grumbles quietly, before sighing and sitting down.

"Anyway, what's up? And where are you?" He asks, looking a lot more comfortable in his big looking chair.

"We're kind of at a loss on this mission that we've been sent on, and I was wondering if you could help out. If you're free of course." Percy asks, sounding a little nervous. _What a curious reaction, he doesn't like asking for help apparently._

"What mission?" Nico asks, leaning forward with interest gleaming in his eyes.

"We've been sent to deal with this monster army that's camping out down South. Except, we've been driving around for the last 6 weeks and we haven't seen anything. Midnight hasn't even picked up a scent." Percy explains, making Nico look a little concerned. _Not the best reaction._

"When you say we, who exactly do you mean?" Nico asks slowly, as if he's just realised something.

"Me, Reyna and Midnight. Why?" Percy asks in return, looking confused.

"Just the 3 of you? No one else?" Nico returns, looking concerned.

"But I was at the meeting when they were hashing out the plans for this mission. There's meant to be a small army of you, and as for where the camp is, it's near some place called Terlingua. It's near the boarder to Mexico I think." He reveals, which sends a stabbing pain through my chest. _Had Bellona really withheld information that important from us and lied about how many could come on the mission, just so that she could get at us._

I sit up and come into frame behind Percy and look at Nico, who looks like he's on the verge of a panic attack.

"Are you serious? But why would Bellona lie to us?" I query, making Nico look even more confused.

"Bellona? What's she got to do with any of this?" He asks, tilting his head slightly. A mixture of dread and realisation flood through me as I figure out what happened.

"She came and told us about the mission." Percy says, looking between Nico and me. Apparently not catching on to what happened.

"She wasn't the one that was meant to deliver the mission, was she?" I ask quietly, still holding some kind of hope that she wouldn't go this far.

"No, Mercury was asked to deliver it because Mars was busy with something." Nico informs us. _You've got to be kidding. All that wasted time searching randomly, and only the 3 of us to deal with what I'm guessing is going to be a fairly large force._ I lie back down and groan in frustration, making Midnight rest her head on my lap. Absentmindedly I stroke her, but my mind is filled with the final betrayal of a mother I still had hope for.

I feel Percy sit on the bed by my head and rest a hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks for the information man. I guess we'll let you get back to whatever you do now." Percy says, trying to sound upbeat. But I can hear the tremor in his voice and the slight shaking of his hand on my shoulder. _He's scared._

Of course he is, he's smart enough to know the odds of this fight. He's been in enough.

"Guys listen, you only have two days before we think the enemy are going to move from that camp." Nico cuts in before Percy can swipe his hand through the Iris message.

"We think they are planning on meeting up with another camp in Vegas and then move towards Camp Jupiter. So whatever you do, you need to do it by tomorrow evening." Nico says, worry starting to fill his features. He sighs in frustration and pushes his hands through his black hair.

"I'll speak with my dad, see if I can come and help you. But it might take a while, things are getting a little out of hand in the Underworld." He states, looking around cautiously.

"What's happening?" Percy immediately asks, only for Nico to shake his head. _Is he worried someone is listening in?_ I know Percy wants to press him for an answer, but I gently grab his arm signalling that he should drop it. _For now at least._

"Alright, well thanks anyway man." Percy finishes, swiping his hand through the image of Nico. _I still can't really believe that Bellona would interfere with a mission like this._ Percy leans down and kisses me on the forehead, pulling me from my thoughts. I look up at him and see a small smile on his lips and mirth in his eyes.

"Well, as this may well be our last night on Earth. Want to go out with a bang?" He asks, his eyes suggesting at more than his tone of voice. I raise an eyebrow as I look at him, curiosity gnawing at me.

"That depends, what do you have in mind?" I finally ask, making him grin further.

"Well, we are in a fancy hotel. Why don't we have a nice dinner, maybe drink a little. We'll make a proper date out of it." Percy grins. I can't help but smile back at him as I agree with him.

"We can even dress all fancy as well. I can wear a suit and tie, you can wear a dress. It'll be great." He continues, his excitement getting away from him a little. _It would be nice though, considering we haven't really been on a proper date. Oh the joy of having a time consuming job._

I nod along with his mad scheme, feeling my worry about tomorrow beginning to fade away and butterflies fill my stomach. _How does he still have this effect on me?_

"That all sounds wonderful and all. But where are we going to get these fancy clothes from?" I ask, making him falter for a second, which makes my heart drop for stepping on his fun. But after a few seconds his smile is back and bigger than before.

"I just have to ask for a favour." He winks at me before standing up and walking into the sitting area. _What's he planning?_ I look down at Midnight, who looks at me with the same question in her eyes. _What is he up to?_

(A Few Hours Later)

After Percy stepped out into the sitting area, he had a very quiet conversation with someone. I couldn't quite make out their words, but by Midnight's reaction she most definitely did. But I doubt she'll start talking to me anytime soon, considering she only talks to Percy and Diana. Plus, I'm kind of interested in what he can come up with.

After he was finished with whomever he was talking to he came back into the room and said that everything was sorted and that he was going to go book a table for dinner. But as he was leaving, he quickly shouted over his shoulder that her would come and 'pick me up' at around 8:00 for dinner. _Where could he be going?_

So for the few hours I have till dinner I stayed in the room with Midnight, a mixture of excitement and nerves churning in my stomach. _We've been together for a few months now. How can he still make me feel like it's our first week together?_

I play with Midnight for a while, but can barely keep up with her speed the way Percy can and soon concede defeat when she pins me to the floor. _No wonder Percy's so damn fast, playing with her all the time._ I then start to flick through some TV channels, but there is nothing on that can distract me from the excitement building in my chest.

I look at the clock as it ticks to 7:00. _I suppose I can start to get ready now._ But I still have nothing to wear for this evening, _when's Percy going to drop it off? Better yet, does Percy even know what kind of dress to buy?_ The image of Percy standing amongst thousands of dresses losing his mind makes me smile, _what a loveable idiot._

I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower, I close the door on a slightly inquisitive Midnight and strip off before stepping into the shower.

(Line Break)

After a nice refreshing shower I dry off and wrap myself in a fluffy dressing gown, and exit the bathroom drying my hair. Midnight is sleeping at the end of the bed, but opens one sliver eye as I walk in.

"Sorry did I wake you?" I ask, not really expecting a reply as I walk towards the bed.

 _"_ _Not really, have a nice shower?"_ A gentle voice asks in my head, freezing me in my tracks. I look at Midnight in surprise and a little shock, while Midnight just blinks lazily at me.

"D-did you just talk to me?" I ask, earning a quiet yes in my head. My chest swells with excitement and love for the wolf in front of me.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything, but why now?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from exploding with joy.

 _"_ _It's difficult to create a connection with new people. Well, usually that is."_

"What do you mean?" I ask, sitting down on the bed.

 _"_ _Well Percy told you how we met, right?"_ She asks. I nod in reply, waiting for her to continue.

 _"_ _Well usually it can take a few months, or even years for a wolf to create a connection like this. But from the moment I met Percy he was already in my head, talking like it was no big deal."_ She says, laughing softly. I look at the big wolf in disbelief, mainly at the fact that she's talking with me. But also at the fact that Percy has an amazing knack for doing the impossible.

"I see. Well in any case, I'm happy to finally talk to you." I smile at her.

 _"_ _Likewise Reyna."_ She replies quietly, before closing her eye and going back to sleep. _I thought she just couldn't talk to other people, this is great._

I glance around the room to see if Percy had come back in whilst I was in the shower and dropped off anything. _He had not._ _I can't very well wear a dress if I don't have one._ I'm about to quickly get dressed and run out and see if I can find a shop near by, when a soft thud comes from the sitting room. Curious, I walk into the sitting room and spot a parcel on the sofa. _Well, that's new._

I pick up the parcel and inspect it for a second before tearing it open. When I open it I find a beautiful silk dress, with a few accessories. _Is this what Percy meant by a favour? Who did he even ask?_ I pull the dress out of the packaging and hold it up in front of me. It's a deep violet and shimmers slightly in the light. I turn it around and find that it is a backless dress that zips up behind the neck, almost like a chocker. _It's a beautiful dress._

I walk back into the bedroom to dry my hair properly, but as I walk through the door a warm sensation flowers in my stomach and spreads all the way through my body. I feel my hair dry and tie itself up, and watch as my nails get painted a dark crimson. _What in Jupiter's name is going on?_ I jump in front of the mirror and see that my hair has been braided, almost looking like a waterfall as it falls over my shoulders. _Did he get Venus involved in this?_ _But I'm pretty sure there's a saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth._ So I quickly pull the dress on and zip it up behind my neck.

At first it seems like the dress is too big for me, but after a second it slowly starts to resize until it fits me perfectly. What I didn't notice before was that there is a slit that comes half way up my thigh; _you're really outdoing yourself Perce._

I walk back into the sitting room and look at the rest of the contents of the parcel. There's a pair of black heels, earrings with hanging silver feathers, and a silver bangle with and Omega stamped on it.

Just as I finish getting ready a soft knock comes from the door. I see Midnights eye snap open as she takes a slow breath, but as she relaxes I head for the door. I take a step in the heels and almost fall immediately. _Fucking heels._ I correct myself and walk to the door.

I open it and find Percy standing on the other side of the door, in a black suit, a black shirt and a dark sea green tie. He's even had his haircut and has half of it tied up while the rest hangs freely. _He looks surprisingly good in a suit._

His jaw drops when he sees me, and it looks like he's floundering for something to say.

"What's up? Cat got your tongue?" I tease, stepping through the door.

"Y-you look amazing." He finally says, managing to compose himself a little. I feel the heat build in my cheeks at the compliment.

"Thank you, you clean up pretty nice yourself." I say snaking my arm through his as he holds it out.

"Hold down the fort Midnight." I call through the door, watching the large ball of fur slowly breathe.

 _"_ _Will do, and make sure that idiot doesn't do anything stupid."_ She replies sleepily. _She has a beautiful voice._ I laugh and nod at the wolf as I close the door behind me.

"Did you just talk with Midnight?" Percy asks in surprise as we walk down the hall. I turn to him and smile.

"Yep. We finally made a connection." I reply excitedly, which just seems to fuel his excitement.

"Well that awesome, but, are you ready for a pretty great night?" He asks as we get to the lift.

"Of course. Lead the way." I return, as the lift arrives.

 _I wonder what else he pulled off._

(Line Break)

Dinner was amazing, scratch that, the whole evening was amazing. After a lot of pestering, Percy finally revealed that Piper was the one behind the outfits and everything else. Which I am infinitely grateful for. _I'll have to thank her if I can._

After dinner Percy had managed to wrangle a pair of theatre tickets to go and see a show called Wicked. _Which was excellent by the way._ All in all, this evening allowed us to act our age for once. With no worries about our jobs, or about monsters attacking us.

As the night drew to an end and we wander back to the hotel, a little drunk and giggling like a pair of teenagers. _Which I suppose we are._ When we get back to the room, we manage to coax Midnight out of the bedroom and onto the sofa, _which wasn't all that difficult when our intentions were brought up._ We then disappeared into the bedroom for the evening. _Much, I'm sure, to Midnight disdain._

 **(Percy POV)**

(In The Morning)

Last night has to be one of the best nights of my life. Not only did Reyna look stunning in the dress that Piper picked out, but she look completely at ease and so genuinely happy that all my concerns about, well, everything dissipated.

As I wake from another fairly grim dream about Tartarus, I open my eyes to a mess of black hair and Reyna wrapped in my arms. I can feel Midnight is awake in the sitting room, and that she seems a little worried.

 _"_ _What's the matter Little Lady?"_ I ask her, nuzzling up to Reyna and soaking in her warmth.

 _"_ _I'm just a bit anxious about what we have to do today."_ She admits, sounding a little reluctant. I take a slow breath to stop my nerves from getting the better of me. _It could really all end for us today, couldn't it?_

 _"_ _At least that makes two of us."_ I concede, seeing no point trying to put any kind of front up for her. I slowly extract myself from Reyna and quietly walk over to the door and into the sitting room, where I find Midnight staring out of the window from the sofa. I take a seat next to her and rest a hand on her back. We sit there in silence for a while, just staring out of the window, watching Apollo drive the sun over the horizon whilst I slowly run my hand through her fur.

 _"_ _Do you think Reyna would ever forgive me if I went without her?"_ I ask, more to myself than to Midnight, but having her opinion wouldn't be the end of the world.

 _"_ _I think that if you didn't get yourself killed that she would flay you into the next century."_ Midnight states matter-of-factly. I laugh quietly, knowing that she is right and that either way I wouldn't survive. I lean my head back and sigh as I look at the ceiling, all the outcomes of what could happen today flood through my head.

 _1\. We somehow pull it off and deal a massive blow to the enemy before the war even starts. Win._

 _2\. Reyna or I die in the process of completing the task, leaving one of us alone and heartbroken. Ultimately meaning we would be useless to the war effort. Loss._

 _3\. We fail, both of us die or get captured and have untold horrors inflicted upon us. Mega Loss._

 _Yep, great way to psych yourself up Percy._ I let out another sigh and Midnight turns to me, a cold determination burning in her eyes.

 _"_ _I promise you this, I won't let either of you die. I swear it -"_ I cut Midnight off by putting my arm around her and pulling her into a hug.

 _"_ _Before you promise that, I need you to promise me something else."_ I say, making her look up at me with a curious glint in her eyes.

 _"_ _If at any point things take a turn for the worst, I want you to grab Reyna and run. I don't care if you have to drag her away kick and screaming, you run until you are both safe. Can you do that for me?"_ I ask, my tone low and serious as I stare into her eyes. There is a moment of silence whilst we stare it out, waiting for the other to back down. After a few seconds Midnight finally concedes and looks away.

 _"_ _But what about y-"_ She tries to ask, but I just smile at her.

 _"_ _I'll be fine, don't you worry about it."_ I reassure her, trying to sound confident. I can tell by her eyes that she doesn't believe me, but she agrees none the less.

 _"_ _Now, shall we go and wake our Princess in there?"_ I ask, tactfully changing the subject. Midnight's ears perk up a little at the suggestion, and she slowly climbs onto her feet. Silent as a shadow she creeps off of the sofa and into the bedroom, I follow but stop and lean against the doorframe to watch. Midnight sneaks to the edge of the bed and crouches down, getting ready to pounce on the unaware girl.

Midnight pounces, but as she takes off Reyna's eyes open and focus in an instant. Grabbing the duvet Reyna rolls to the side, avoiding the incoming Midnight. In the next heartbeat, Reyna grabs the blanket at the end of the bed and throws it over Midnight, who yelps as she tries to escape. I can't help but wonder how this turned out the way it did, but also I can't help but be in awe of her right now. _She really is something else._

Looking satisfied, Reyna turns from the now trapped Midnight to me. A small grin flickering at the edge her mouth. _That's not a nice grin._

"Oh Percy, be a dear and come here for a second." Her words come out honeyed. _That is not a nice voice._

"You know what, I'm good here. I -" Reyna slowly stands, cutting my sentence short. _Well, I guess I never did consider getting killed before we started._

(Line Break)

After almost getting beaten to death by a half dressed Reyna, we quickly get ready to head out. I decide to wear my armoured trousers, a tight fitting t-shirts and my long coat.

As I'm pulling on my boots I glance up at Reyna, who is also wearing armoured trousers but under her leather jacket I can see the gleam of her armour. _Gods that must be uncomfortable to lug around._

After getting ready, I do one more sweep of the room to make sure that we haven't left anything behind. _Can't have mortals finding anything they're not supposed to._

"You ready?" I ask, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

"No, but we have to do it. So let's go." She replies, picking up her bag and heading for the door.

 _"_ _I'm counting on you to keep that promise."_ I tell Midnight quietly. She nods as she pads past and I follow her out of the room. As we are leaving I explain to the receptionist that an important matter has come up and that we have to leave early. But I reassure her that I will pay for the whole time we have booked and that they're service was excellent.

Then we are back on the bike and starting the near 10 hour journey to Terlingua.

The journey is as uneventful as the previous 6 weeks of driving, but Midnight looks so happy trotting alongside us that it basically makes up for it. I throw a quick look over my shoulder to see what Reyna is doing, but she is latched onto me and her tinted visor is pulled down so I can't see her eyes anyway. I sigh to myself and speed off down the seemingly endless road. _I've been sighing a lot recently._

About an hour from Terlingua I pull over to the side of the road and turn off the bike. I give Reyna's knee a little squeeze as she climbs off the bike and then pull my helmet off.

"I thought that we should probably have a drink and something to eat before go any further. You know charge up before going into glorious battle or something." I joke, making a couple of sandwiches appear in my hands. Midnight whines a little, pulling my attention to her.

 _"_ _Don't I get anything?"_ She asks with a huff, looking away from me in mock anger. I laugh a little as I make a raw steak appear on the ground in front of her paw.

 _"_ _Thank you."_ She says with glee, as she rips into her steak. I smile as I turn back to Reyna, who looks like she is putting way too much thought into eating her sandwich.

"What's on your mind space cadet?" I ask.

"Huh?" Is her informative response. _She really wasn't here for a second._

"What you thinking about?" I ask, taking a seat on the floor and patting the ground next to me. Indicating for her to take a seat next to me.

"I was just thinking about how truly horrendous the situation we are about to find ourselves in is going to be." She informs me, looking a little guilty as she sits down. _I can't blame her, it's been on my mind a lit too._

"Well I'd like to say that we've been through worse. Well, I guess I have. But that doesn't really count, I had a Titan and a Giant on my side." I trail off, my mind going back to the fight at the Doors of Death inside Tartarus. I shake the thoughts from my head and spot Reyna looking at me a little sceptically. _I should really tell her more stories about what I've done, I doubt she really believes most of the stuff I say though._

"I just don't want to lose you." She whispers, almost too quiet for me to hear her. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her in tight.

"I'm pretty sure you said it before, but you're stuck with me now. And I have no intention of letting you go anywhere I can't follow." I return softly, resting my head on top of hers. Suddenly a thought occurs to me. _I haven't spoken to mum in a while. I should probably try and say something before going any further._

"Is there anyone you want to call before we go any further? Hylla maybe?" I ask, surprising Reyna a little. But she silently nods as she sits up a bit straighter and makes herself more presentable. I open a bottle of water from my bag and pull out a small amount, and will it into a mist. I then hand her a Denari before standing up and walking away a little bit to give her some privacy.

I walk over and take a seat by Midnight, who is happily licking her lips. _Well at least someone's in a good mood_.

 _"_ _You scared?"_ Midnight asks as she lies down next to me.

 _"_ _Would you believe me if I said no?"_ I reply weakly, trying to make a joke but failing to keep even my internal voice from wobbling.

 _"_ _No, I really wouldn't."_

 _"_ _I won't lie to you Midnight, I am terrified. We're in the middle of some pretty barren land, there is no water for miles except for what is in my bag and we have to fight an army."_ I say, resigning myself to the fate that is probably coming for me.

 _"_ _Come on Percy, I didn't follow you out of Artemis' camp because of your pessimism. There is a glow about you that inspires hope, you just need to realise that and latch onto it. Take a little bit of it for yourself, if for no one else. Do it for her."_ Midnight finishes, looking over at Reyna who looks like she might be on the verge of tears. I can't see Hylla, but I can imagine that she might be in a similar state. Struggling to keep the emotions she locked away for so long in check.

After a few more minutes Reyna swipes her hand through the image, ending the call. I pull myself to my feet and with Midnight right behind me, walk back over to her. _I suppose it's my turn._ I plant myself next to Reyna and pull some more water out of my bottle and after chanting the prayer to Iris, I ask her to connect me to mum.

"I'll leave you to it." Reyna says, going to stand up. But I grab her wrist and pull her back down next to me.

"Nah, you can stay." I say, my voice wobbling a little. _I can't worry mum, it's for the best if she doesn't really know._ After a few seconds an image comes into view, revealing mum playing with Lilly. Mum looks a bit of a mess, with her hair tied up messily and in some baggy clothes. But she couldn't look more happy at this moment. I smile and just watch the scene for a second, before I cough to alert her to my presence.

"Oh, Percy, and Reyna. How are you two?" She asks, an easy smile on her face as she continues to play with Lilly's feet.

"We're good, just thought we would check in. See how everyone is doing." I half lie, feeling a lump begin to build in my throat.

"Well, as you can see. This little rascal is doing great." She replies poking Lilly in the stomach before picking her up, as she giggles like a maniac.

"Per-cy." Lilly says, with wide eyes as she leans towards the image.

"Hey Princess, you looking after mum?" She nods in response.

"Causing loads of trouble?" I grin, making her laugh as she rocks back in mum's arms excitedly. _I guess that's a yes._

"Well she is your sister after all." Mum deadpans, staring straight at me. Earning a small laugh from Reyna and Midnight. _Cheers guys._

"Where are you three? It looks really sunny, and is that a motorbike?" She asks, looking kind of angry as she asks the second question. Making me look away as innocently as I can.

"Perseus! You answer me this instant." She demands. _I call for a nice chat and I'm being told off. Go figure._

"Yes." I admit grudgingly. "Blackjack and Guido got ill before we left. So Hestia gave me a bike." I tell her, her expression turning curious. _Mistake!_

"So come on, tell me where you are. Anywhere exciting?" She asks. _I'm pretty sure that's the second time she's asked._

"Oh, Reyna and I are just on a small delivery mission. Dropping something off at the Amazons HQ." I lie. I feel Reyna's hand grip mine as I lie, but I just can't bring myself to tell her the truth.

"I see, well I shouldn't keep you for too much longer then. Take care." Mum says with a bright smile.

"We will, and, I love you mum. You too Lilly." I struggle to say over the lump in my throat, but I think it comes out pretty level.

"I love you to Percy. Bye for now." She waves goodbye as I swipe my hand through the image, and we sit in silence for a minute.

"Why did you lie to her?" Reyna asks quietly. Still holding my hand quite tight. She doesn't sound angry or anything, just curious.

"I just couldn't tell her. I couldn't have her sitting in the living room worrying. It's better this way." I explain, but I'm really trying to convince myself as much as I am trying to convince Reyna. She rests her head on my shoulder for a few seconds before standing up.

"Well, we've got a fight waiting for us. It would be rude to keep them waiting too much longer." Reyna says, trying to lighten the mood. I smile and stand up next to her, trying to shake all the negativity from my mind.

"You're right. Let's go." I say, sliding back onto the bike.

(Line Break)

I stop the bike on a hill to the north of Terlingua, so that we can survey the area. Reyna produces a pair of binocular from her backpack and scans the miniscule village in front of us. Reyna gasps and then hands me the binoculars. I hold them up to my eyes and focus on the village. It's kind of hard to see in the afternoon light, but I can make out that the village is inundated with monsters of all kinds.

I scan back and forth a few times to make sure that I'm not imagining it, but there has to be about 800 monsters there. _How are we meant to stop that?_ Panic slowly starts to set in as I watch the monsters roam freely. There are big groups of Cyclops', Dracaena and Laistrygonian Giants. As well as a huge pack of Hellhounds, thankfully they don't have any Drakons or the Hydra. _Because that would have sucked so bad._

 _"_ _So what, you take the 266 on the right. I take the 266 in the middle and Reyna takes the 266 on the left."_ I joke, turning to Midnight. Who doesn't laugh back, but only looks on at the village with quiet determination burning in her eyes.

 _"_ _Reyna says that's a terrible idea."_ Midnight informs me after a few seconds. I spin around to Reyna, who is looking at me disapprovingly. You can almost see her saying, _we made this idiot a Praetor._

"But I may have part of a plan." She tells me, as she starts to draw in the dirt. She draws a vague outline of the village, emphasizing the hills surrounding it.

"So what I'm thinking is this. You see those two big hills to the west of the village, if you could cause an earthquake there and cause rock slides or something into the village. That should hopefully kill a fair amount of the monsters, and then we pull back to where we are. Drawing the rest of the monsters out of the village and onto the open planes." She stops, and looks down at her drawing, deep in thought.

"If you're pausing to add suspense, please do carry on." I say, crouching down next to her. She glares at me before looking down again.

"I'm not, I just don't know what to do after that." She admits, chewing on her thumbnail.

 _"_ _She did say she only had part of a plan."_ Midnight says, nudging my arm. I give her a pat on the head as I shrug in agreement.

"I guess we'll just have to wing it." I say, heading back to the bike.

"How can you be so blasé about this? We could very well die today." Reyna snaps slightly, making me stop. I turn back to her and smile.

"How often does a plan survive engagement?" I ask, as she stands up.

"Especially in a situation like this where we don't even have the right numbers to deal with this situation. We'll have to make our plan on the fly, to account for the changing situation." I tell her, as her expression turns to pleasantly surprised. _People really think I don't think about what I say don't they?_

"Well, whoever said that you were stupid was definitely wrong." She laughs to herself. I grin and take a step towards her and wrap her in a hug.

"You set up about a mile north of the village, I'll go cause an earthquake or two and meet you there." I say, resting my forehead against hers.

"Ok." She replies quietly, closing he eyes.

"I love you. You know that right." I says, a moment of panic flooding through my chest. _What if she doesn't feel the same? See I hate random compulsive thoughts like that._

"I know, and I love you too." She replies shyly. I kiss her on her forehead and then let her go. I crouch down next to Midnight and stroke between her ears.

 _"_ _You stay with Reyna and I'll be back before you know it."_ I tell her, as she nods in reply.

 _Right, let's get this party started._

(Line Break)

I leave the bike at the bottom of the hill and quickly jog up to the top, taking care not to be spotted by any of the monsters below. As I reach the top, the first thing that occurs to me is that the there isn't enough hill to cause a proper rockslide. _Wonderful._

I quickly look around trying to think of a different way to cause a large amount of damage and chaos, but the only thing that springs to mind is walking into their camp and causing an earthquake there. _But I doubt that's the best idea._ _But I could walk to the front of the village and cause one._ _Yea, let's go with that._ I jog back down the hill and back to my bike.

I quickly turn the bike on, rev the engine and shoot off towards the north side of the village. It only take me about two minutes to get to where I want. I leave the bike running as I climb off of the bike and walk towards the horde of monsters in front of me. Surprisingly, it actually takes them forever to notice me. When I am finally spotted, I'm about 10 meters away and it's by a pretty rouge looking satyr. _I can honestly say I've never seen an evil satyr._

"Who are you?" The satyr demands, alerting the nearby Cyclops' and Hellhounds.

"I'm Jerry, I have a pizza delivery on my bike." I lie, pointing back towards my bike. The satyr narrows his eyes at me for a second, looking me up and down.

"You don't look like a pizza delivery guy." The satyr says, sounding cautious. I look down at myself with fake surprise.

"Really? I mean, I am riding a motorbike. This is all protective gear in case I fall." I lie again, taking a step forward.

"Stay where you are!" The satyr shouts, pulling out a small knife. I freeze and raise my hands in surrender.

"Whoa man chill. If you don't want the pizza, I can just leave." I say, trying my best to look frightened. _Which isn't all that hard when you're staring down an army._

"Goat man, we want the cheese disks. Let's take them." One of the Cyclops' shouts over. _Did he say cheese disks? That's hilarious._ The satyr sighs and starts to walk towards me, sheathing his knife.

"Fine, we'll take the order. How much will it be?" The satyr asks, stepping right up to me. _Fucking Zeus he smells awful._ I do my best not to gag as I pretend to rummage in my pocket for a recite.

"I do believe it comes to $50. But I think I'd rather take your head." I grin as I pull Riptide out of my pocket and in one motion flick the cap off and cut the satyrs head off before he can even scream. Silence ensues as we all watch the satyrs head fall to the floor, a silent scream etched on his face. I look up at the Cyclops' who are still processing what just happened.

"Sorry, my hand slipped." I pretend to apologise, shrugging my shoulders. One of the Cyclops' actually laughs, before getting hit by the one next to him.

"You shouldn't have done that puny human." The Cyclops that called the pizza's cheese disks says, before raising his club and bellowing a war cry, alerting every monster in the vicinity that I'm here. _Now comes the fun bit._

I let them all charge for a few seconds, letting them get closer to me. When they get to about 5 meters away, I take one stride forwards, jump and slam my foot on the floor. The effect is immediate. The ground in front of my shakes violently and cracks start to spread from my foot, starting off small but growing into chasms of death.

The first few waves of monster only fall to the ground, stunned. The cracks too small to do anything but trip them if I was lucky. But countless monsters in the middle to back ranks cry out as they fall to their deaths, the floor disappearing from under their feet. I couldn't tell you how many monsters I had just killed, but I just hope that it was enough to cause some of them to run away.

"Get him!" The cheese disk Cyclops calls, struggling to his feet.

"If you want me! Come and get me!" I call back, running to my bike and speeding off towards where Reyna should be waiting for me. _Well that went relatively well, now we just need to not die and this day will have gone swimmingly._

It takes no time for me to reach Reyna and Midnight, somehow Reyna has all of her armour now. _Where the Hades was she hiding that?_ I ride past them and stop the bike, quickly jumping off and running back to them I watch, as the cloud of dust that is caused by the monster is slowly getting closer.

"So… Any motivational words before what I'm guess is going to be a horrible fight?" I ask, trying to keep the tone of my voice light. I glance at Reyna who is taking slow even breaths, trying to calm her undoubtedly racing heart.

"No not really. How about you?" She asks, making me think for a second. _I've never really been one for motivational speeches, but I guess I can give it a shot._

"Well, I guess you could say that it is one of those days Reyna." I start, taking off my shield watch.

"What days?" She asks, turning to me. The front lines of the monsters only about 500 meters away.

"Darkest day, blackest hour. Let's see what we're made of. You and I." I say, offering her a small smile.

"You know what, that was strangely motivational." Reyna grins. I hand my watch over to her and after a second of looking confused she takes it.

"Try not to get shot this time. You'll give my shield a bad name." I grin, pulling Riptide and Cyclone out. I can feel my left hand starting shake a little, and I try to stop it by tightening my grip on Cyclone. The monsters are almost upon us, with cheese disk leading the way. His spiked club raised high above his head. _One more quake wouldn't be the end of the world._ I raise and slam down my right foot, sending a savage quake towards the oncoming army. Sending most of the monsters to the floor, or their knees. Taking the initiative of their moment of confusion we charge as I summon my armour in a burst of flames. Fast as an arrow we fly towards the monsters, Reyna launching her spear at a fallen Cyclops. _Doesn't she only have one of them?_

But I decide not to question her intention and run head long into a Laistrygonian. I roll under a slow swing from the giant and hack through its ankle, bring it to its knees. I then jump onto its back and deliver a quick stab to its temple. _Great, that's what? Two down, endless hundreds to go._ I let my instincts take over and dive into the battle, dodging, parrying, slashing and rolling my way through enemies. Making sure to keep Reyna in the corner of my eye. I spot Midnight, a blur of black, dashing through the monsters. Leaving a small trail of destruction in her path. _Well, this could be going worse._

I hack down through a Dracaena's spear and into her shoulder, making her scream as she disintegrates and I just manage to make out the sound of running behind me. I spin around and jab Cyclone through the mouth of a leaping Hellhound, silencing its roar. I hear a faint whistling in the air and a whizz as an arrow sails past my head, grazing the top of my ear. _Fuck!_

Instinctively I dive to the side and watch as an Empousa that was behind me gets turned into a porcupine. I look up and see a group of Dracaena archers set up about 50 yards away take aim. _Fucking archers._ I make a dash for the archers, dodging stray clubs and slashing through the sides of unsuspecting monsters. _You really would have thought that they would have surrounded us and finished us off quickly. Are they just that stupid?_

I slide under the next volley of arrows and ignite my right arm. I slide to my feet only a couple of meters in front of the archers and slam my fist into the ground, sending out a huge wave of fire and burning all of the Dracaena to ash. I quickly turn around to check on Reyna and spot her twirling her spear around like a Shaolin Monk, slashing and stabbing any monster that comes too close, a wicked grin spread across her face. _For a girl that doesn't smile that much for anyone else, her war smile is terrifying._

We continue to thin the horde of monsters for the next ten minutes before everything starts to go down hill. I'm just finishing off a Hellhound when a club connects with my side, sending me flying. I fly through the air for about 10 meters and land next to Reyna, who spins her spear around and drives it backwards through a Hellhounds mouth. _Gods she's cool._

"What are you doing down there?" She asks, expanding my shield and blocking three arrows.

"You know, enjoying the view." I grin, pulling myself to my feet. A stabbing pain erupts from my side and when I look down I see a spike sticking through my armour. _Wonderful._

I pull the water from my water bottle on my bike and will it over the wound as I pull the spike out of my gut. I grunt in pain as I pull it out, but manage to hide it from Reyna. _I've probably got some cracked ribs as well._ The water quickly gets to work healing me and I stand up, taking my place next to Reyna. _Where's Midnight?_ As if reading my thoughts, my wonderful wolf comes leaping over a Dracaena and lands next to us.

 _"_ _This is bad! They have reinforcements."_ Midnight informs us, making me groan. _I thought there guys were meant to be the reinforcements._ After my wound is closed I will the water into three large icicles and make them float above us.

"This is all the water we have. So I'm going to see how much damage I can do with it and then we need to fall back. Before they realise that they can surround us." I say, taking a step forward.

"I would prefer if you didn't give the enemy tactical advice whilst we're fighting." Reyna mutters turning her spear into a gladius. I grin as I pull one of the icicles towards me, I break it down into smaller icicles about a foot long each, and rain them down on the monsters. I get about 15 monsters before shields appear, blocking my ice. _Well in that case._

I reignite my arm and send a column of fire towards the Dracaena's with shields, incinerating them in an instant. I then melt down one of the other icicles and rain the water over the monsters, making a few laugh in confusion, thinking I had made a mistake. I just smile and will the water that now covers a lot of them to freeze, creating a lovely selection of monster ice sculptures. I then send a small tremor through the ground, making them fall and shatter. With the last icicle handing above me, I stretch it till it's about the size of a ballista bolt and launch it at the monsters, watching as it sails through a dozen monsters before stopping.

Then for good measure I make a flame wall to separate us from the monsters so that we have a little time to get away.

"Right, time to go." I say, turning to Reyna and Midnight as we start to push backwards. But the exhaustion from using all of my more advanced powers in tandem hits me like a truck and my legs turn to jelly beneath me. _Great!_

In a flash Midnight is at my side and is supporting my weight, or more like dragging me along.

 _"_ _Thanks."_ I tell her, as she winks at me. I'm about to make a joke about her winking at me, when an arrow sprouts from her side with a thud. That's when everything starts to happen in slow motion. We both fall to the ground, a yelp escaping Midnight. I cry out as I feel her pain flood my mind, making Reyna come running back towards us from a few meters ahead.

But the monsters are closing in. Cyclops' burst through my firewall with little consequence and charge at us.

 _"_ _Midnight! Oh Gods Midnight are you ok?"_ I cry, crawling over to the prone wolf who id panting heavily.

 _"_ _I'm going to go with no."_ She jokes, looking at me with her wonderful silver eyes. I hear the clash of fighting and turn to see Reyna, fending off about four Cyclops' at once. She's doing well, but I can see all the cuts littering her body and the blood staining her clothes. _I need to help her._ I try and push myself up, but my limbs are moving painfully slowly. Almost as if they don't want to obey me.

Eventually I get onto my feet, but Riptide and Cyclone feel like lead weights in my hand. Dragging me down and stopping me from helping. _What the shit is happening to me? This is way too much for just being tired._ With a growl I manage to throw myself between Reyna and a club heading for the side of her head and block it with Riptide before stabbing the Cyclops' in the chest. _Thank the Gods._

Reyna turns to me, a look of thanks and relief on her face. A small cut along her cheek catches my eye. _I should have been quicker._ But in the blink of an eye she's gone, kicked backwards by a Cyclops'. I block an incoming sword and throw a hasty look over my shoulder to see an arrow pierce her shoulder and nail her to the floor and making her scream out in pain.

Rage explodes through me. Flames engulf my whole right hand side, burning a horrible black and building up behind me. In an instant my swords become weightless, and all my exhaustion vanishes. I let out a roar and start to attack. The ground starts to shake violently as I dive into the monsters, cutting and burning countless numbers before they can even react. Everything becomes a blur and then everything goes black.

 **(Reyna POV)**

 _Getting kicked 20 meters by a Cyclops was not in my list of top ten things to do today. Neither was getting shot with an arrow, again._ But as I try and move, I find that I am pinned to the ground and that even if I wasn't I doubt I could move. Pain throbs all over my chest, indicating that I have probably got a lot of broken shit at the moment. I glance over at Midnight, who is breathing really slowly. But looks kind of at peace. _That's not encouraging._

 _"_ _Hey, Midnight. How you doing?"_ I try, hoping she can still hear me. I see her eyes flutter open and slowly focus on me.

 _"_ _I've been better._ " She admits quietly, looking at the arrow in my shoulder.

 _"_ _But I feel like I've seen you like that before."_ She jokes. _Yea, yea I got shot before. It's all a big joke._ I sigh trying to move again, only for pain to shoot through my shoulder. I groan at the pain and stop moving. _Probably for the best._

I hear Percy roar, it's filled with so much pain and anguish that I think he's hurt. Slowly I look for him, only for panic to build, as I can't see him. _They can't have killed him._

All of a sudden a pillar of black flame shoots into the sky, vaporising all the monsters in a close proximity. I can even feel the heat from here. _What the Pluto is that?_ As the flames die down I see Percy standing in the middle of the pillar. His right arm is blazing a black flame and the ground everywhere but under Midnight and me seems to be shaking violently.

But what catches my eye as I see his coat billow around him, is the two fiery black wings that extend from his back. They are both terrifying and beautiful at the same time, as an orangey red flickers at the tips. _Well there's something you don't see everyday._

I hear the heavy footsteps of someone walking up to me and turn to see the evil grin of a Cyclops approaching. _Great._ I quickly will my sword to turn into a spear, and as the Cyclops raises its war hammer I drive my spear through its sternum.

What I didn't account for was the falling hammer that the Cyclops drops over my face. _This is going to hurt so damn much._ I watch as the handle, which is wrapped and studded with metal, falls and connects just above my eyebrow. Pain explodes through my head as I black out.

 _I new it was going to hurt._

 **(Piper POV)**

"What do you mean you forgot to tell them all the details of the mission?" I growl at a smug looking Bellona, who is currently standing in the middle of the Olympians.

"What is the meaning of this?" Neptune demands, slamming his trident into the ground.

"It may have slipped my mind." She grins, shrugging her shoulders at the angry good.

"Why did you even go and tell them? Mercury was tasked with telling them." Jupiter asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I thought I would go and say hello to my, _daughter._ Before she left for her dangerous mission." Bellona basically spits the word daughter. _Does she have a problem with Reyna?_ "So you just let them go on a mission that was meant to have a full Cohort, alone. I'm sorry but that's just bad parenting." Leo remarks, standing with Calypso next to Hephaestus' throne. I see the rest of my friends nod in agreement and even a few of the other Gods.

"But we can't do anything now, we can't interfere directly. They're on their own." Apollo says, sounding a little deflated. Like he's already accepted their deaths. A nasty sneer appears on the Goddess' face, and a sense of victory pours off of her. _She wanted this to happen to them, but why?_ All of a sudden Nico appears in front of Pluto's throne, a look of panic on his face.

"What is it son?" Pluto asks. Nico quickly scans the room, noticing that the Gods are in their Roman aspects.

"Something is wrong with Percy and Reyna." He says, panic filling his worlds.

"Well they are probably in a battle and dying horribly right now." Mars say, earning a glare from everybody. He just shrugs, as if to say, _it's the truth._

"No, no, no. That's not what I mean. Reyna is in a pretty dire situation sure, but something is very wrong with Percy." He explains, holding his head as if he's in pain. _Can he feel that about all of us?_

"But what do you expect us to do?" Pluto asks, leaning forward in his throne. Nico's eyes' lock with mine and I immediately understand what he's trying to say.

"We'll go." I say quietly, walking forwards.

"What was that dear?" Venus asks, looking down at me.

"We can go and help them. They fall under all of our domains." I say again, gesturing to Jason, Frank, Hazel and Leo. _We have to go now, if what Nico says is true._ In a flash all of us are in our armour, with our weapons out. _It's still pretty weird being able to do all this._

"It's too late, you'll never get there in time." Bellona cackles, walking out of the throne room. _What a bitch._

"Very flashy guys, but let's go." Nico snaps, stepping into the shadow of his fathers throne. _He's not waiting around._ I nod at Jason and we all flash to Terlingua.

(Line Break)

We appear about 100ft in the air above Terlingua and what I see makes me gasp. There is a horde of monsters as far as the eye can see. _I thought there was meant to be a few hundreds at most._

"There must be at least 2000 monsters down there." Jason says, hovering next to me. _Yes I can fly._

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Leo asks, sounding a little bewildered. I turn to him and see him sitting on Festus. _When did he fix Festus._ I follow his gaze and see a devastating battlefield. There are craters, cracks, scorch marks and black fire surrounding a certain figure.

"Who is that?" Hazel asks, squinting at the figure. I look a bit further back and spot two figures on the floor, both lying very still. _Oh no._

"Get down there." I turn to Jason, who nods before dropping like a meteor, a crack of thunder following him. I watch for a second as the others follow him, before moving towards the prone figures. As I near the ground I see Nico appear from the shadows behind the two bodies, his Stygian iron sword seemingly sucking in the light. _Is that Reyna and Midnight?_ Nico runs up to Reyna and crouches over her, looking concerned. I land a few feet away and run over to him.

"Is she ok?" I quickly ask, looking over at Midnight who is barely breathing. _We need to get both of them out of here._

"Yea, I think she's just unconscious." Nico says, looking up at me in relief. I move over to Midnight to check on her. The arrow is sticking out of her side, and her breathing is painfully slow. She opens her eyes slowly and stares up at me with beautiful silver eyes.

"Hey girl, how're you doing?" I ask, crouching down next to her and resting a hand on her head. She takes a laboured breath and closes her eyes again. _We need to get them out of here._

 _"_ _Apollo I'm sending you some patients."_ I tell Apollo telepathically. Flashing Midnight to Apollo before walking over to Reyna. I'm about to flash Reyna when Nico stops me.

"Wait, if you try and flash her it could leave the arrow in the floor and we don't know if it's keeping her from bleeding out or something." Nico whispers, lying down on the ground and looking under Reyna. I give Reyna a once over and see that her face is covered in blood from a pretty nasty cut over her left eye. But apart from the arrow in her shoulder I can't see any other damage, _but then again I have no medical prowess what so ever._

I look over at battle and see the person at the middle of all the fiery carnage. _Is that Percy?_ He is wreathed in black flames, with a pair of black fire wings with dark orangey tips spreading from his back. _What happened?_ He is spewing more flames than Leo could ever dream of mustering, burning every monster that comes near and then cutting down any monster that gets through the flames. I see orange flames and lightning erupt further away, cutting through multiple lines of monsters. _Well, Jason and Leo are getting involved._

"Piper, I got her free send her to Apollo." Nico calls out to me to get my attention. Before I can turn around Percy's head snaps around, his eyes literal balls of sea green fire as he looks at me. But there is no recognition on his face as he looks at the two of.

"Nico, back away." I whisper, slowly standing up and pulling Katoptris from my belt.

"What're you talking about?" Nico mutters from behind me.

"I don't think Percy can see us right now, I think he thinks we're monsters." I whisper, taking a step backwards.

"What're yo-" Nico gasps. _I'm guessing he looked up._ Percy starts to walk towards us, completely oblivious to all the monsters around him. As I get a better look at him I can see that he is a mess. His clothes are all torn to pieces, arrows and spear heads are sticking out of his back and sides and blood is pouring out of him. _How's he not dead?_

A loud roar comes from the crowd as the Minotaur comes charging out of it.

"He just doesn't know when to quit." Nico sniggers as I step back next to him. _What does that mean?_ The Minotaur hefts its battleaxe up and cuts down towards Percy's back. In a flash Percy spins out of the way and take the Minotaur's arm with him. Percy sheathes Cyclone and put his hand on the Minotaur's chest and melts a hole through its chest in an instant. _That's kind of intense._

"We should probably run." I admit, fear crawling up my spine.

"You are a Goddess you know." Nico reminds me with a small smile. _Yea, but I doubt I'll be able to keep Percy occupied for longer than 30 seconds._

"Yes, but that doesn't mean my fighting ability has increased enough to fight Percy." I hiss in return. I blink slowly and hear a thunder clap, and as I open my eyes Percy is right in front of us looking us up and down slowly with his burning eyes. His usually tanned skin is pale, and he is literally pouring blood from all over. But remarkably, he's managed to keep from getting hit anywhere fatal. Even the arrows look like he's calculated where he can be hit.

"P-Percy, it's Piper and Nico." I stutter out, hating how shaky my voice sounds. He watches us for a second, before lashing out with his free hand and catching a stray javelin that was sailing towards his head. _Now he's just showing off._

"R… Rey… na? He… Help… her?" He asks, his voice broken and guttural.

"Yes. We're here to help her." Nico says, stepping up with his hands raised, trying to appear friendly. A nerve wrecking few seconds before he nods and a look of relief fills his eyes. He then promptly collapses, the flames disappearing without a sound. _Oh thank the Gods._

 _"_ _Guys, time to go."_ I call out to the others.

"Nico, take Reyna. I'll grab Percy." I order, crouching next to Percy and flash straight to Apollo's palace. Where I find a bored looking Apollo.

"Piper, a wolf doesn't really count as a pa-" Apollo stops abruptly when he sees me with Percy and when Nico appears next to me with Reyna.

"Can't stay out of trouble can you." Apollo mutters as he waves his hand, making Percy and Reyna disappear.

"It's ok, I'm already treating them." His says, his form flickering for a second. _Oh, he's a projection._

"Ok, I'll go to the throne room and tell everyone what happened." I tell Apollo as he nods. I place a hand on Nico's shoulder, much to his apparent disdain, and flash to the throne room.

"Jeez, Pipes. I know we're in a bit of a rush, but a bit of warning next time please." Nico huffs, shaking off my hand. _He's really isn't a fan of human contact._ As I look up at the Gods on their thrones. I look at the others and see that apart from a few scratches and being covered in golden dust they look fine.

"So, what happened?" Zeus asks, looking down at all of us.

"Um, it might be easier if you just project my memories so that everyone can just see it." I say, looking at Hera. She nods and her eyes glow a Hazel brown. I feel a prickle at the back of my mind, but I don't fight it.

A screen appears above us, showing the massive army of monsters and Percy burning like some infernal angel. The rest of the memories play out, from the others dropping down to fight and Nico and me dropping down to help Reyna and Midnight. There is a collective gasp from around the room when Percy turns around and faces us, his burning eyes sending fear down my spine again.

Then another when he dispatches the Minotaur and closes the distance between us in a flash. Seeing it all again, I really realise how truly terrifyingly intimidating he actually was. His fire wings spreading 15ft, and curling slowly around us. The fear is instantly replaced with a stab through my heart as I hear the pain and the unyielding love in his voice. _How did I miss that the first time?_

Then the memory ends and silence ensues, the only sound is a stifled cry coming from Artemis. _She must be so worried about Midnight._

"Father, we defeated maybe around 200 hundred monsters on top of what they did. But there are so many more coming, we need to prepare our defences." Jason says, stepping forward Athena nodding in agreement.

"Very well. Jason, Frank and Hazel will go to Camp Jupiter and prepare them. While Piper and Leo head to Camp Half-Blood and prepare them. Understood?" He asks, looking between all of us. We all nod and then flash to our designated locations. _You'd better not die on us fish breath._

 **(Hestia POV)**

 _This is bad. This is really, really bad._ I nervously glance around the throne room at all of the Olympians that are deep in thought. _Should I tell them that he's my champion?_ I poke through the fires of the hearth, trying to calm my pounding heart and slow my breathing.

"Who did it?" Zeus asks quietly, but his tone oozes with anger. The throne room is silent, everyone barely daring to breathe.

"I said. WHO. DID. IT?" He roars, thunder and lightning making the room shake. I look up at my brother, but instead of the paranoid glare that I was expecting. He is looking around the room, calculating and calm. _That's almost worse._

I take a deep breath and stand up from the hearth and walk to the centre of the room, where I grow to look around 25.

"Hestia? It was you?" Poseidon asks in disbelief. Whatever anger he was holding washing away.

"Yes. Percy is my Champion." I declare, looking at everyone in turn, daring them to say anything.

"Hestia, all champions must be approved by the council. You know this. Why would you do this behind our back?" Zeus asks, confusion starting to take over.

"I made Percy my champion when he was on his way to New Rome. I don't know if any of you noticed, but he was on the brink. So I made a choice, and I gave him work that did help him." I tell them, keeping my voice level and pushing a calming aura to everyone.

"Is there anyone here who would have denied him the posi-" "But he invoked." Artemis surprisingly interjects. _What's she getting at._

"Yes, he did. What're you getting at?" I ask, giving her a small glare that bolts her to her throne. _Of all the times to invoke, you had to choose the one day everyone would know._

"Nothing, just an observation." Artemis replies, shrinking into her throne.

"Why wouldn't you tell us?" Is Athena's question, but everyone nods as if they were thinking the same thing.

"Percy gained some… let's say interesting powers from my domains." I say, my mind flashing back to that night in the woods.

"On top of having the usual pyrokinesis and the power to conjure meals, he has…" _Should I really tell them? Apollo isn't here, I could get away with lying._

"He has?" Hades presses, sounding a little interested. _No, it's time they knew._

"He has the ability to provide sanctuary and complete immunity to everyone that uses powers over love." I whisper, hoping that none of the council hears me.

"That preposterous, no one is immune to my power." Aphrodite laughs, but a glare from Zeus silences her. I stare into Zeus' thundering eyes as he thinks over what I just said.

"Champions were banned back when someone's thought it would be a good idea to try and overthrow us." Zeus sighs, looking at Ares. But Ares just shrugs in return. _That's not exactly what I was expecting, he's changed a lot._

"That's actually not strictly true." Athena chimes in, her piercing eyes never leaving me.

"We made the process for becoming a champion so that if there were any evil intentions towards Olympus within the candidate, they would be destroyed." Athena recalls. I smile and nod gratefully at Athena, who returns a small smile. _I always liked Athena._

"I didn't tell you immediately because of the extra powers that he received. I was worried that because he has the power to block anyone, even us, from entering or attacking one of his sanctuaries that you might worry that he will betray us." I admit, watching Zeus carefully. Zeus takes a moment to think over my statement, but ultimately doesn't look as angry as I thought he would be. _That's an up._

"Very well sister, I understand your reasoning. But in the future, please inform us so that a situation like this doesn't occur again." Zeus says, a warm smile on his face. To say that I'm shocked would be an understatement, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the council is feeling the same.

"I will." I nod gratefully, relief filling my heart. _He's going to be safe._

"Oh, but do tell him what happened and how to control an invocation." Zeus says, standing up from his throne. I nod again and Zeus and Hera flash out in a lightning strike. _It's nice to see that he's still a drama queen._ I breathe a sigh of relief, as the other Gods start to flash away. The only worry being Aphrodite, muttering something about testing Percy. _That won't end well._

I walk over to Athena, who is reading a scroll in her throne. As she sees me approaching she makes the scroll disappear and looks up at me.

"I would just like to thank you. I doubt it would have gone so smoothly with out you." I tell Athena, gratitude filling my words. Athena analyzes me for a second before replying.

"As much as I loathe Poseidon and his spawn. Percy made Annabeth happy, and I believe that he did his utmost to try and save her. That alone stands to prove that he was worthy of her, so I have come to accept him. If only a little." Athena states, before flashing away. _Its taken millennia, but everyone is starting to mature a little._

I smile to myself as I turn to go to Apollo's palace to check on Percy, only to find Poseidon behind me.

"Brother, is there something you would like to discuss?" I ask, already knowing the answer as I watch him shift a little nervously.

"I would like to thank you. You alone saw how broken my son was, and you helped him. For that you have my eternal gratitude." He says, pulling me into an unsuspecting hug. I hesitate for a second before returning it. _He really does care for his children so much._

"It's ok, no thanks needed." I tell him as we break apart, but he just flashes his grin that Percy inherited at me before disappearing into a sea breeze.

 _Right, let's go check on the troublemaker._

 ** _A/N: Hey guys, sorry this one took a little while. I've been pretty busy with college (who knew art took up so much time). I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, and you all know the drill by now._**

 ** _See you next time._**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Hestia POV)**

In a burst of flames I appear in front of Apollo's palace and bang on the front door loudly. _He should really tone down how much gold he uses, this place is blinding._

I stand in front of the door for two minutes and still the door hasn't been opened. _That's odd, usually a Nymph answer is he can't._

"Apollo?" I call out a little nervously, knocking again and waiting for a few seconds. _Well this can't be good._ Slowly I open the over glorified door and peak through.

The dead silence is beginning to frighten me as I walk through the foyer. _He's probably still in the medical wing._ _But why is there no one around?_ I quickly hurry through Apollo's palace and towards the medical wing, dread starting to build. It only takes me a minute to jog to the medical wing and I slide to a stop feeling like I've been punched in the gut. _What happened?_

The medical wing is in chaos. Monitors are blaring, nymphs are running around with clipboards and medical equipment I can't even begin to name. But what nearly stops my heart is the sight of Apollo frantically working on Percy's lifeless body. _What happened?_

I spot Reyna standing off to the side looking shell-shocked. The left side of her face and her eye is covered in bloodied bandages, which along with her now lose hair is blocking her face from me. Her chest is all bandaged up, along with her right shoulder that is also slinged. With interesting looking black lines snaking down her arm from the bandages. _I wonder what that is._

I make my way over to Reyna, dodging my way through the rushing nymphs. I step up next to her and place a hand on her shoulder, making her jump slightly. She slowly turns to me, her face gaunt and pale. Her good eye hollow and broken with tears pouring uncontrollably and her mouth moving silently. _What a poor girl, she might break if he dies._

I gently wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug. She sobs silently into my chest, her free hand clutching my dress. I hold her in silence, rocking her slowly as her tears soak through my dress. We remained like this for a minute before I slowly hold her out in front of me. Sobs still wrack her body, but she quickly tries to wipe the tears from her eye. _She's barely holding herself together._

I will a calming and comforting aura onto her, which seems to calm her down a little bit. But she still looks like she's had her heart cut out. I glance nervously at Apollo as his hands fly around Percy's body, glowing golden.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to sound as soothing and reassuring as I can.

"I-I don't k-know. W-When I w-woke up h-he was already w-working on him." She manages to stutter out between laboured breaths. _It must have been one of the Nymphs that worked on her under supervision from a projection._

"Ok. Why don't we go wait outside till Apollo finishes?" I offer turning towards the door. But Reyna stays firmly planted in her corner of the room, shaking her head, a determined fire burning in her eyes. _She's almost as stubborn as you are Percy._

My heart goes out to her, but she is on the verge of collapsing. I quickly look around the room for somewhere to sit her down, and my eyes land on the bed that Midnight is sleeping on. _That'll do._ Slowly I guide her towards the lone bed and sit her down next to the unconscious wolf. _I hope she's doing ok._

I quickly inspect the bandages wrapped around her midsection and sigh with relief when she takes a slow breath. _They would be crushed if she died._

I turn back to Reyna and rest a hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles. She's muttering something under her breath and looks like she's blaming herself for something.

"Reyna?" I question, trying to get her attention. She stops whatever she was whispering and looks up at me.

"What're you thinking?" I inquire quietly. "This is all my fault." She whispers, looking over at Percy's remarkably peaceful face.

"Of course it's not your fault. Bell-"

"Yes, Bellona lied to us and withheld information before sending us on our merry way. But she did that because she wants me dead, and I'm pretty sure she wants to make a point to Percy." She cuts me off with a venomous tone, wiping tears from her eye. _That can't be true._

"I doubt she wants you dead dear." I try and reassure her. But she just turns to me, mutters something under her breath and glows purple. When the glow dies down I gasp with surprise. She is covered in scars, well except for her face that is. I stare at her wide-eyed for a few seconds before she glows again and the scars disappear. _What happened to this girl? Surely Bellona wouldn't do this._

"Most, if not all, of these scars are courtesy of my benevolent mother." Reyna sounds defeated as she slumps down, almost as if she's trying to crumple in on herself. _How could a mother do something like this to her own child?_

"I… I'm so sorry Reyna." I finally say, making her raise her eyebrow at me in confusion.

"Why? It's not like you did this." She replies. "If only I had noticed. I could have stepped in and done something." I say, but Reyna just gives me a weak smile before shaking her head.

"She was hiding us very well. There is no way you would have found us my Lady." She informs me, sounding very resigned as she turns back to Percy. That's when I feel a snap. A snap of hope and a bond between family. _She's lost the last remnants of hope and the family bond she had with Bellona._ I pull her in close and turn back to Percy and watch silently as Apollo works frantically around him. _Percy you cannot leave this girl alone, not now. She needs you back. So you'd better wake up, or I am dragging your ass out of the Underworld myself._

(The Next Day)

After working all night and most of the morning Apollo finally stumbles away from the operating table, covered in blood and sweat. _I haven't seen him work this hard in a while._

He collapses into a chair that one of his Nymph's slides under him before he hits the floor. Slowly I lay the now sleeping Reyna down next to Midnight and make my way over to the slumped Apollo. I look over at Percy, who looks so very peaceful. He is covered in a white sheet, but I can still see the bandages wrapped around his neck.

"How's he doing?" I ask, turning back to Apollo. He wipes his face in a hand towel before looking back up at me with tired eyes.

"He's stable, now. But he was in bad shape for a while. He's lost a significant amount of blood from his various cuts, stab and puncture wounds." He starts, slowly regaining his golden glow.

"But that's not the worst part. The worst part is the 3rd degree burns that cover his right forearm and hand. His arm was mangled, and was almost beyond repair. Chaos knows it was hard, I don't even know if what I did worked." He groans, sinking deeper into his chair. _But, he shouldn't be able to get burned with my blessing._

"Then on top of that it looks like he may have invoked. Did you know that he's a Champion?" Apollo asks, rubbing his temples. I quickly explain what happened in the meeting and Apollo's eyebrows almost hit the roof.

"He's your champion. Well that's interesting. Did you not tell him about invoking?" He presses, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair.

"No, it must have slipped my mind." I reply meekly. _Stupid, how could I have forgotten to tell him._ I sigh and look back over at Percy.

"When will he wake up?" I ask.

"I don't know. He's running on fumes right now, so it'll probably be a while and you should prepare for the face that he might not be able to use his right arm again. Just in case I failed." He replies quietly, forcing himself to his feet before looking at me sympathetically.

"I know that this must be hard for you, but he's not going to wake up any sooner with you watching him. I'll keep an eye on these three, go tell his mother that he's alive." Apollo softly says, resting a hand on my shoulder. _He's right, Sally needs to know. She's probably worried sick right about now._

"Thank you Apollo." I nod before flashing to Sally's apartment. _This is possibly the scariest thing I have ever done._

(Line Break)

A sliver of fear creeps up my spine as I knock on the door. I hear the excited chuckling of Lilly and my heart drops a little. _How can he do what he does, when it would mean leaving this wonderful family?_ The door open and reveals and expectant Sally holding onto a smiling Lilly. Sally looks confused for a second, before smiling as well.

"Hestia, what brings you here?" She asks happily enough, but I can see the dots connecting in her eyes.

"Do you mind if I come in?" I ask. Sally quickly steps to the side and lets me in. I walk into the living room and take a seat on the sofa. Sally sits next to me after extracting Lilly from her side.

"What is it? Is it Percy? Did something happen to Percy?" She quick fires questions, looking over at Lilly who has brightened up when she heard Percy's name.

"Before I explain everything, I want you to know that Percy is alive and will be fine." I start, trying to put some of her worst fears at ease.

"Will be?" Sally questions, tears beginning to collect at the corner of her eyes. I take a deep breath before I start explaining everything.

"He was in a horrible battle and was severely injured." Her hand flies to her mouth as tears start to trickle from her eyes.

"But Apollo spent the whole night working on him, and he's stable." I reassure her, placing a hand on her shoulder and sending a warm pulse through her. She sighs with relief and wipes a tear from her eye.

"How did this happen? I only spoke to him yesterday, he said he was delivering something to the Amazons with Reyna." She asks, looking very confused. _The Amazons? Did he lie to her?_

"Oh Gods is Reyna ok?" She quickly asks, worry evident in her eyes.

"Yes, she's ok. Percy managed to protect her." I reassure her, taking a breath to calm myself before continuing.

"Their mission had nothing to do with the Amazons. They were sent to deal with an army, but…" I trail off, expecting her to take my next bit of news terribly.

"But?" Sally presses, grabbing my hand from my lap. I try and think of the best way to put this, but I don't think she will appreciate me beating about the bush. "But, they were lied to. By a Goddess." I finish quietly.

"What!" Sally exclaims , shooting to her feet with a murderous look in her eyes. _Oh dear Gods!_

"Bellona. A Roman Goddess lied and withheld information when she delivered the mission to Percy and Reyna. She told them that only the two of them were allowed to go on the mission, when in fact they were meant to take a whole Cohort with them." I explain to her, but the rage in Sally's eyes doesn't die down as she retakes her seat.

"Why would she do that?" She fumes, her knuckles turning white as she grips the armrest.

"For some reason, Bellona has some kind of grudge against Reyna and now Percy. So she sent them on this suicidal task to kill Reyna and to make a point to Percy. Well, that's what Reyna thinks." I expand, Sally's rage slowly turning to tired confusion.

"But why?" Sally asks tiredly, putting her head in her hands.

"I don't know. But what's worse is that Bellona is Reyna's mother. I can't even begin to understand why she would want to kill her own child." I add quietly. Sally turns to me with a horrified expression. _Looks like she in the same boat I am._

We sit in silence for a while Sally processes what I told her. Lilly comes over a few times to play and show me a toy whale that she looks very happy with. _Must be Percy's influence._

"Can I see him?" Sally asks suddenly, surprising me a little. _I don't see why not._

"Of course. Let me just tell Apollo that we are on our way." I say, making her nod.

 _"_ _Apollo, I'm bring Sally to Olympus to see Percy. Just giving you a heads up."_ I tell him telepathically. He doesn't so much reply as kind of just grunt in response. _I'm taking that as a yes, come right along._

"Alright grab Lilly and cover her eyes. We're going." I order. Sally jumps into action and grabs an unsuspecting Lilly away from her play set. She quickly put her hand over Lilly's eyes and closes her own as I grab her arm. I flash us up onto Olympus and outside of Apollo's palace. I knock loudly on the golden door and immediately the door opens, revealing a still somewhat tired looking Apollo.

"You must be Sally. Come this way." Apollo says, walking off. Slowly Sally opens her eyes and for a second she is lost in the awe of being on Olympus. But in a heartbeat she regains her bearings and marches through the door to Apollo's palace, looking very determined. _I think Zeus might even be scared of her if she was on the warpath._

I quickly follow them down the hall that has a lot of portraits hanging. _Huh, I didn't notice this before._ I take a closer look at some of the pictures and come to a startling realisation. _They're all of his children!_

I look up and down the hall, seeing the same blonde hair and blue eyes, and the occasional brown and black hair. But all of them are his. Under each portrait is a name and dates. I step closer so that I can read one. _Daniel Lancaster, Born 1992, Died 2007._ I look up at the young boy and he is the spitting image of Apollo, with the same blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling as bright as the sun. _He's not as free spirited as he lets on._

"Hestia?" I hear Sally calling from the end of the corridor; I quickly turn and walk over to them and into the medical wing. It is a lot tidier this time, and there are no running Nymphs. All the blood had been cleaned up and Percy's bed had been pushed up next to Reyna's and Midnights. Reyna looks up at us as we walk in and I just catch the sight of tears forming as she looks away in shame, gripping the edge of her bed so hard her knuckles have gone white.

Sally closes the distance to them in a heartbeat, worry etched into her face. _She looks like she's aged 50 years._ I slowly walk over to them while Apollo disappears in a golden flash. Sally is lightly stroking Percy's head, whispering soothing words to a concerned looking Lilly.

"I'm so sorry." Reyna whispers, her voice breaking.

"For what dear?" Sally asks kindly walking around to her bed.

"This is all my fault. P-Percy is like this because of me." Reyna cries quietly, tears dripping into her lap.

"Reyna, this isn't your fault. Hestia told me what happened, if anyone is to blame, its Bellona." Sally soothes, sitting down next to her. Lilly slowly a crawl across her mothers lap and onto Reyna's and looks up with her big blue eyes.

"Hi!" She says excitedly, which makes a small smile break out on Reyna's face.

"Hi." Reyna returns, trying to sound a bit more upbeat. Lilly looks Reyna up and down and frowns whilst she crosses her arms. _She's really quite adorable._

"You been hurt." She huffs, turning back to Sally who quietly nods.

"Yea, but I'll be ok. Percy saved me." Reyna reassures her, patting Lilly's hair with her good arm. Lilly lights up at the mention of Percy, and maybe a little at getting her head patted.

"Percy!" She exclaims looking at Sally again. Sally smiles and stands up, she picks up an excited Lilly and turns to Percy's bed.

"He's sleeping?" Lilly asks, leaning towards him. _She's fairly coherent for a 20 month old child._

"Yep. He's going to be sleeping for a little while I'm afraid. So he wont be able to visit for a while." Sally tells her quietly, her voice catching a little bit. Lilly looks confused for a second but then smiles again.

"Sleepy Percy." She grins, poking him in the cheek. He doesn't respond. Lilly pouts and goes to poke him again, but Sally spins back around to face Reyna. Who is still looking down at her lap silently crying.

"Reyna, don't blame yourself for this. You can bet that Percy wouldn't want you to. He would probably laugh and say it's his fault anyway." _Sounds about right._

"So keep your chin up, he'll get through this and you can kick the absolute sh-" Sally stops herself and looks down at Lilly, who is innocently looking around the room.

"You get my point." Sally finishes. I feel a smile spread across my lips, _what a strong woman._ Reyna manages a weak smile for Sally.

"If you need anything. Even if it's just someone to vent to, you are always welcome at mine. You're family now." Sally smiles resting a hand on Reyna's good shoulder. Reyna's good eye widens in surprise and she nods as happily as she can.

"Thank you." She whispers, looking a little better.

"Now, you focus on getting better. I'll see you soon." Sally says, earning a nod. Sally then turns back to Percy and kisses him on the head, whispering something as she stands back up and walks back to me.

"Can you please send me home? Paul will worry if we're not there, and I need to tell him what happened." Sally asks sweetly, putting up a very good front to stop herself from crying.

"Of course. Don't worry I'll let you know when he wakes up." I reassure her, gratitude fills her smile as I send the pair of them on their way. I give the young immortals one last look before I leave. Reyna has climbed into Percy's bed and is lying as close as she dares, the worry of hurting him further almost palpable. But her breathing quickly evens out and she is soon asleep. _Sleep well you two. You have a difficult road ahead of you._ I then flash myself back to the hearth in the throne room.

 _A difficult road indeed._

 **(Reyna POV)**

(Two Months Later)

When I first woke up in Apollo's palace so much relief flooded through my system that I couldn't even process the possibility that anything was wrong. _We had been saved, we're going to be alright._ _How wrong I was!_

I had already been treated and was lying comfortably on a bed, but the room was a bit too chaotic for everything to be ok and the memory of Percy's burning form flashed through my mind. I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. That's when my world came crashing down. I saw Percy on an operating table, blood everywhere and hooked up to hundreds of machines. _No, no, no, no! This can't be happening._

I try to walk over to him, but a small nymph stops me, telling me that I couldn't interfere. I didn't even realise that I had injuries, I just stood there like a statue. Completely lost and my heart slowly breaking. If it hadn't been for Hestia and Sally I'm pretty sure that I would have just disappeared. _What better way to protect Percy than to take him out of the crosshairs?_

Apollo let me stay in his palace for a few days, so that I could stay with Percy. Even though he told me the likelihood of him waking up was very low. When Midnight woke up on the second day she was frantic. She tried to jump over to Percy, but yelped with pain as she reopened her on wound. It took a long time for me to settle her and explain that he's effectively in a coma. _Leaving the pair of us mopping around._

I have visited Sally a few times, mainly just to talk and stuff. She is always so happy to see me and she is a great listener, as I just tell her all my worried. I also play with Lilly and tell her the few stories that Percy has told me about his adventures. Which ensnare her with wonder and amazement. _I wish my family was like this._

But now I'm back in New Rome getting ready to go to another stupid meeting. I look at myself in the mirror, especially my face. I still have to wear bandages over my eye, _something about eyes being very tricky to heal and needing longer for the process to work._ I also look at my shoulder where I was shot. It's still a bit sore, but the black lines that had spider webbed from the wound have disappeared now. Apollo mentioned that he thinks it was like something was trying to corrupt me from the inside out. _Maybe there was poison on the arrow._

I sigh, finish getting ready and head to the meeting, Midnight close behind. I pull my cloak closer around me, trying to block out the somewhat frigid air and try and avoid sympathetic looks people are giving me. While others give me sideways glances, whispering rumours that had taken root when I had returned. _There's an odd feeling of despair in the air._

The rumours spread from Percy dying, to Percy betraying us and that's why I'm injured. Utterly ridiculous rumours, but they can't be stopped now. Not without him.

 _"_ _Don't listen to them. They were just jealous of Percy and his position. They'll try anything to slander his name."_ Midnight speaks up; glaring at the couple that were whispering with each other and making them flinch with fear.

 _"_ _I know. Doesn't mean they don't hurt every time I hear them."_ I return sadly, struggling to maintain my motivation to go to this meeting. But I power on, my thoughts solely on Percy and his recovery.

(Line Break)

I walk into the Senate building, the sound of the old doors alerting everyone to my presence. Midnight follows me in, throwing the rules out the window as she growls at the disapproving looks some of the Centurions give her.

"Reyna, thank you for joining us." Alice calls out with a smile. I nod and head to my seat, praying this meeting wont take long.

"Ok, well the first agenda for this meeting is the decision on what to do with Benjamin and his followers?" Dakota calls out, rising to his feet. _Gods, I completely forgot they were in the cells._

"We can't very well let them back into the Legion. The whole thing will just start again, there are still some who sympathise with him." Sam calls out from the 5th Cohort table. There's a murmuring of agreement from most of the room and I even find myself nodding along. I zone out for a little bit, my thoughts drifting to Percy lying in that hospital bed all by himself. _I hope he wakes up soon. Not having him around is weird._

"But don't you think the death penalty is a bit extreme?" Greg asks from the 2nd Cohort table, looking a little nervous. _He must still be nervous about his new rank. Also, when did we get to the death penalty?_ Again, there is murmured agreement. But a lot less this time.

"I'm sorry but he outright tried to overthrow the Praetors, even the Consul was attacked. That is treason, and there is no other way to deal with treasonous scum." A Lare calls out, causing a tense air to fall over the room. Dakota looks over to me, pleading with his eyes for me to help. Slowly I stand and all the chattering dies down. I stand there for a minute, absentmindedly running my fingers over Percy's watch behind my back.

"We'll exile them. Both parties are right, we can't keep them in New Rome but killing them is a little extreme. So give them a small amount of provisions and send them out the tunnel." I say, my voice flat and fairly emotionless. There's a stunned silence as everyone takes in what I said, but no one disagrees.

"That could work." Alice chimes in, looking thoughtful as she watches me.

"We'll put it to a vote." Dakota states, standing up slowly looking unsure. _He doesn't like this, it's basically the same as a death sentence._

"All in favour of Exile?" Almost everyone's hands go up, leaving little point in asking whether we should execute them. But when asked only two hands up go up for execution, and surprisingly it's Samantha and Natalie. _A little unexpected to say the least._ But the motion carries to have them exiled and then we move onto the next subject, our defences.

After the battle at Terlingua, there was a massive rush to get all the defences up and running. But the attack we were expecting didn't come, and weeks turned to months with not so much as a whisper of any movement. _How a monster army that large can go undetected, I don't know and that worries me._ My thoughts begin to wonder a little as Dakota and Alice talk, until I have no idea what's even being said anymore.

 _"_ _You ok?"_ Midnight softly inquires, licking my hand to get my attention. I look down at her and offer a small fake smile.

 _"_ _No. But I can't sit around worrying all day, Percy wouldn't want that."_ I return, stroking her between the ears. I glance back up at everyone and watch for a while as they talk, barely even listening.

The meeting finally ends, and two legionaries run off towards the cells. While two others appear at the entrance with 20 medium sized backpacks. _That was quick._ A couple of minute pass and then the rattling of chains can be heard coming from the door to the cells. _I didn't realise that this was going to happen today. I don't want to be here for this, I am in no state to be dealing with Benjamin._

"So you weaklings have finally decided what to do with us?" Benjamin calls out as they enter the room. A string of about 20 of them all chained together, looking ragged and pale.

"Out with it you traitors!" He demands as they stop in front of Dakota and Alice, glaring murderously at the pair of them. He slowly turns his gaze on me and grins manically. He tilts his head and his eyes widen. _Yea, that's not creepy._

"My dear Consul, what happened? You look awful." He sings. _Has his mind snapped? Well, even further._

"You are all being exiled. You will never be allowed to return, and all will know of your shame." Alice states, walking over to them. Alex walks over to her holding a glowing X shaped brand. She brands Benjamin first, putting the brand over his Legion tattoo. But he still hasn't stopped staring at me and it's really starting to freak me out.

Some of the other exiles begin to cry and beg, spouting excuse like fountains. But Alice presses on with a stoic expression.

"Where's your little Praetorian pet Consul? One can only assume that he's dead if he's not here and you look like that." Benjamin grins, which makes Rickon look up with inquisitive eyes. His thoughts much too easy to read. _He still thinks he has a chance._

A low and threatening growl reverberates through the building as Midnight stands, her hackles raised. Fear flashes across Benjamin's face at the sight of the wolf, but quickly tries to compose himself.

"Hmm, have I struck a nerve?" He asks, but with a lot less confidence.

"Is the _graecus_ finally dead? Or has he betrayed you like I said he would? Will his replacement also be your lover I wonder? Is that how you pick them? Will it be another Greek you decide to bed? Or will you finally come to your senses and pick a Roman?" Benjamin asks, putting his hands on his chin in mock thoughtfulness. Midnight's growl only intensifies and Benjamin tries and fails to take a step back in fear. _That's a lot of questions._

"Sorry to burst your bubble but he is fine, he's off completing a task for the Gods. But even if I did have to pick a new Praetorian, I would pick whomever I thought worthy of the title." I lie, silently amazed at how steady and confident my voice is. All those years of putting up a stoic mask finally paying off. _Like I could replace Percy._

Rickon's face drops immediately, his last remnants of hope thankfully dying. But Benjamin continues to watch me with narrowed eyes. So I stare back with my good eye, pouring all my hatred into a glare. It takes a minute, but he finally back down and glares at the floor. Philip is the last to get his brand and he is blubbering like a baby, begging relentlessly for forgiveness. No one listens, or even bats an eye as they are escorted outside.

"I will return! And I will have my revenge! I swear it!" Benjamin calls out, as the doors slam shut. _Great! A vengeful Demigod, like we need one of them on the loose._

 _"_ _I should have torn his throat out. Talking about Percy like that."_ She growls, looking up at me with angry eyes.

"I know, but you would have let on that something is wrong with Percy. Who knows who he would tell out there." I sigh, my hand slowly going to the bandage over my left eye.

 _"_ _Don't scratch it. Apollo said you only have to wear it for a few more days."_ Midnight says, her voice a lot softer and caring. I stop my hand and smile appreciatively at the wolf.

"Thanks. I didn't even realise what I was doing." I tell her, slowly standing and looking around the room. "I assume we're done here?" I ask Dakota, who is still looking at the doors, looking a little queasy. _This must really not sit well with him._

"Um, yea. I guess we are. Dismissed!" He states, before striding to the door looking conflicted. Alice flashes an apologetic smile before chasing after him. _They make a good couple._ I slowly stand and make my way towards the door, Midnight close on my heels. _What the hell am I meant to do with the rest of my day?_ I step out of the Senate house and involuntarily shiver as I watch my breath cloud in front of my face. _When did it get so cold?_ I wrap my cloak around me once again and start to make my way back home. _To my very empty and quiet house._

 _"_ _Don't worry. He'll be back soon, I can feel it."_ Midnight says, trying to cheer me up a bit.

"I hope so." Is all I can muster to say, as I keep my head down and walk on. Spotting a few Christmas decorations out of the corner of my eye. I'm halfway home when a horn resonates through the City. _That's the Hunt's horn. Why are they here?_ I can instantly tell that Midnight is excited when I turn around.

"Go on. I'll meet you there." I smile at her. She bolts in the direction of the horn and is out of sight in seconds. _I suppose I should go and greet them._ Slowly I make my way towards the Caldecott Tunnel, wondering how November had rolled around so quickly. _This will be our first Christmas as a couple. If he wakes up soon that is._

The sight at the Caldecott Tunnel sends a bolt of fear down my spine. The Hunt is in shambles, wounded scattered at the entrance and exhausted medics try and treat them. While the rest sit, looking like they're on the verge of a break down. _What the fuck happened?_

I quickly scan the crowd for Diana or Thalia, even Midnight would be good about now. I spot a few nervous looking legionnaires standing about 50 yards away.

"Go get some medics!" I call out to them as I start to make my way toward the Hunters.

"Um… Make sure you only get the female medics." I quickly add, they nod before they running off. _Don't want anyone dying by accident today._ A startling realisation hits me, as I get closer to them. _They're missing about a third of their numbers. Oh Gods! Where's Jenna!_

"Reyna?" A tired voice asks. I spin towards the familiar voice and place a hand on my chest with relief. She looks bloody and beaten, with fresh cuts and bruises all over. But she's alive.

"Jenna. I'm so glad you're safe, what happened?" I ask, walking over to the young girl. Jenna slumps to the ground, looking angry and unsure.

"I'm not really sure. About a week ago I was practicing with some of the other girls when I heard someone cry out. So we ran over to see what happened, well not in my case, but that's not the point." She starts, pulling at the grass underneath her.

"I then heard some of the girls crying. But it sounded like it was more from joy than anything else. A few kept saying the name Zoë over and over again." She continues, sounding more than a little confused. _Why does the name Zoë sound familiar?_

"What happened next?" I ask gently, not wanting to push her too hard to tell her something that is obviously going to be a horrible story.

"Well everyone was so happy that this Zoë person was back, everyone was planning a celebration for her. But something felt off with her." She stops to take a shaky breath, and I can feel my heart rate start to pick up.

"Being blind I see people differently. I don't know if I'm special or if this goes for everyone else who's blind, but I can see a person's aura outline their bodies. Like Percy's, his is a mixture of green and orange and it is warm and comforting. But it is also powerful, unrelenting, and unpredictable. It's probably why people tend to trust him so readily when they don't know him that well." She starts to explain. _That sounds about right._

"Or yours, which is a scarlet red. Your aura is steadfast and confident, or, it usually is." She says, looking over at me with her blank black eyes. _Perceptive as ever I can see._ I take a seat next to Jenna and wait for her to continue the story.

"Anyway, this Zoë girl, her aura was dark and menacing. So black that I imagine it's what the void would look like. But because everyone seemed to know who she was I didn't think anything of it." Jenna almost growls at herself. _She blames herself._

"Hey, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known." I try and reassure her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinches slightly, but relaxes instantly as she shakes her head.

"She stayed with us for a few days and everything was normal, Thalia even offered her back her position as Lieutenant." That surprises me, but I finally remember who Zoë is. _I'm sure Midnight would have been ecstatic._

"But then one night as I was lying in bed, I heard a kind of scratchy voice _._ So I grabbed my bow and knives and went to investigate, thinking that someone had found our camp. I snuck about 20 meters into the trees when I found the source of the voice. I have no idea what it looks like, but its aura was the same as Zoë's. But so much more powerful." Tears start to collect in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wipes them away and continues.

"But as I was about to go and get help I messed up. The branch I was standing on snapped, and I fell. I just got up and ran, calling for help. I somehow made it to camp before it caught up to me, but everyone was up by then. They started to attack, but it just cut through the girls like it was nothing. 12 of us were dead before we knew it, and even more were injured." She whispers, tears falling freely now. _What kind of monster could do this to the Hunters?_

"Where was Diana while this happened?" I inquire, wondering why their patron hadn't jumped to their defence.

"Arte-. Diana and Thalia were on Olympus, I think they were meeting with Minerva or something. Thankfully enough we were only about half a day from here so we grabbed our wounded and ran. B-But, it followed us. It just picked off the Hunters that were lagging behind, there was nothing we could do. Our arrows just sailed right through it and no one was stupid enough to try and attack it with our knives. And now…" She finishes, gesturing around us. I can feel my mouth hanging open in shock and I promptly shut it. _This is almost unbelievable._

I spot the Legion medics running towards us and I quickly stand to go greet them, and point them towards the wounded. The tired Hunter medics give me grateful smiles, before taking a step back and lying down to rest.

"Reyna, where's Percy?" Jenna asks, making my heart stop for a second. It doesn't go unnoticed by Jenna, who frowns at me.

"What happened?" She questions, grabbing my arm gently.

"He's in a coma." I whisper, looking at the ground. Feeling the guilt and shame building in my chest again.

"What?" She gasps. I explain everything that happened 2 months ago and she looks horrified. _Didn't Diana tell any of them this? I guess she had no reason to tell them Percy's condition._

"That's awful." Jenna says, covering her mouth with his hand.

I'm about to reply when a bright flash pulls my attention. I see Diana and Thalia appear and run towards us looking worried. Diana skids to a halt near one of the Hunter getting treated, but Thalia spots us and carries on running towards us.

"What the Hades Happened!" She thunders, looking between Jenna and me. Jenna quickly tells Thalia what happened and Thalia looks destroyed.

"I'm so sorry. If only I had said something, we could have avoided all this." Jenna whimpers, crumpling to his knees. Thalia looks like she wants to do the same, but instead shakes her head and crouches down next to Jenna.

"It's not your fault. No one is going to blame you for any of this. All of us were so caught up in the fact that it was Zoë, that we didn't think of how it could have been possible." Thalia comforts, trying to keep her emotions in check. Jenna reluctantly nods, but stays on the ground as Thalia stands up.

"How're you doing? Any news about Percy?" Thalia asks as we walk away from Jenna and head towards Diana.

"I'm still a bit sore, can't take this bandage off for another day or two. But I'll be fine, and there is still no news about Percy." I finish quietly. The remainder of our walk over to Diana is silent as both of us try and deal with our emotions. A silver glow engulfs all of the wounded Hunters and they all seem to relax a bit as they fall asleep, their wounds slowly closing. _That's handy._

Diana looks up at us looking distraught, but quickly composes herself as she stands to talk to us.

"Consul, thank you for giving us this aid. If it's alright with you, we shall be staying with you for the foreseeable future." Diana says, but there is a nervous undertone to her voice.

"Of course Lady Diana. That is no problem at all, I assume you will be staying in your Temple." I reply, making Diana smile a little bit.

"Yes, we shall." She grins. She reaches out and turns my head slightly to get a better look at the bandage over my eye.

"Do you want me to call my brother and have him take a look at this?" She asks, taking her hand back slowly.

"No, no. It's all right, I only have to wear this for another day or so. So it's fine." I quickly return, shaking my head. Diana nods before waving her hand over the wounded, making them disappear with a silver glow and then turns to the remaining Hunters.

"Girls head to my Temple. Atlanta, could you come here for a second." Diana calls out, indicating for a girl to come over. The silver clad girls slowly make their way towards the Temple, while a small girl makes her way towards us.

"What can I help you with my Lady?" The girl I'm assuming is Atlanta asks.

"Can you tell me what did this to you?" Diana asks, looking down at the somewhat beaten girl.

"I really don't know, it looked like a shadow. It was tall and slender, its eyes looked like sapphires and it had long clawed hands." She recalls, fear flashing in her eyes. _That sounds horrifyingly like what Percy described from his dream in Tartarus._

"My Lady, I have no idea what it was." Atlanta adds.

"I think I do." I cut in, before Diana can say anything. Making everyone turn to me looking confused, but they all wait for me to continue.

"I think it's called a Shade." I say, trying to remember Percy's dream.

"How would you know this? Have you faced one before?" Diana asks, looking thoughtful.

"Well, no. But Percy had a dream just before we went on that mission to face that army of monsters, so we didn't really have time to pass the information on." I start, trying to remember what he said.

"I think he said that they could change to look like whoever they wanted. They also serve Erebus I think." I finish, scratching around my bandages subconsciously. _We haven't even had time to think of a countermeasure yet._

 _"_ _You should really stop doing that."_ Midnight says, suddenly appearing at my side.

 _"_ _Sorry."_ I quickly shoot back, pulling my hand from my face. I kneel down next to Midnight and rest a hand on her head.

"Where have you been?" I ask, resting my head against hers.

 _"_ _Catching up with what's left of the wolves. Whatever this thing is, it's fast and deadly."_ Midnight says, a small whine escaping her. _This must be killing her inside._

"Well I think for now, you should all go and get some rest. I need to check and see how many girls we lost." Diana says sadly. None of us complain, and we all begin to make our way back towards New Rome.

 _The war is well and truly on its way._

 **(Apollo POV)**

 _What is happening?_ I look down at Percy's arm and watch as black and red lines spiral up his forearm. _I have to tell Hestia._ I quickly flash to the hearth in the throne room and spot Hestia poking through the flames.

"Hestia, something's happing to Percy." I quickly state when she looks up at me, her smile turning into a frown.

"What do you mean?" She questions, standing up next to me and only coming up to my waist. _Why does she stay in a 9 year old form?_ I shake the thought from my head and grab Hestia's shoulder and flash the pair of us to the medical wing.

"Hey that wa-" Hestia stops when she see's Percy. She rushes to the side of the bed and leans in to inspect his arm. But she doesn't look as worried as I thought she would. _Well that must be a good sign._

"This is because he invoked. His body is now accommodating for the new state. Have you ever had a Champion invoke Apollo?" She asks, taking me off guard a little.

"Um, I don't think so. None of mine have ever really been in a situation where they have needed to?" I tell her, thinking back to all of my Champions. _They were some cool guys. Maybe I should get a new one._

"Well basically, the first time a Champion invokes it is usually due to a lot of emotional stress. It's completely involuntary, usually unavoidable and does a significant amount of damage to the Champion's body. So once they have done it the first time their bodies need to adjust, so that they don't hurt themselves as much when they invoke of their own accord." She calmly explains, poking Percy's arm and watching the black and red line scatter away like a firework. _Well at least she knows what's happening._

"How do you know all this?" I ask, realising that Hestia has never had a Champion before. She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

"I do pay attention at all the meetings you know." She replies with a knowing smile. _And here I thought I was being sneaky back then._

"Anyway, It's only showing up this much because his arm was in such a horrible state. It's just his body trying to heal, he'll probably be waking up soon." Hestia finishes softly, stroking Percy's hair affectionately. _It's quite upsetting that she can't have children, she'd make a great mother._

Slowly Hestia turns to me and straightens up, smiling at me warmly.

"Thank you for letting me know. Keep a close eye on him for me." She says before disappearing in a whirlwind of flames. _That's pretty cool._ I sigh with relief and turn to leave, when a burning hand grabs my wrist and stops me in my tracks. I won't lie, I screamed like a little girl.

I quickly turn around to see what has grabbed me, and to be honest I'm a little surprised with what I see. Percy's left hand has grabbed hold of me, and after an experimental tug I find out that it is like a vice. _Well this is interesting._

Percy's eyes open a crack and he slowly looks around the room. When his eyes finally fall on me, there is one burning question. _What the Hades happened? Or, where's Reyna. I've been wrong about this before._

He tries to move his mouth to speak, but his voice is so dry all that comes out is a raspy kind of groan. I quickly make a glass of water with a straw appear. He greedily drinks the water for a few seconds, before leaning away from the straw.

"I-Is Reyna, and Midnight ok?" He croaks, not sounding much better than before.

"They're fine Percy. You saved the both of them." I reassure him. He nods slowly and his eyes begin to flutter shut again and he passes out, his hand falling from my wrist. _I guess he'll be waking up sooner than we thought._ I instruct one of the Nymphs to keep an eye on him and to tell me when he wakes up again. She nods and takes a seat near his bed, pulling a book out of nowhere.

I stand and watch for a second longer, kind of expecting him to suddenly jump to his feet. But nothing happens, so I turn and leave the medical wing.

 **(Percy POV)**

(1 Month Later)

I'm hovering in darkness, and I'm pretty sure I have been for a while. _Where am I?_

I try to move, but all of my limbs feel like they have been tied down. A wave of panic washes over me at this realisation. _No one likes being tied down. Well, apparently Dakota and Alice might. But that's different._

I laugh to myself as I recall what Reyna told me, who would have thought they had it in them? _I wonder how Reyna is doing?_

"Well hello young wolf. I didn't expect to find you here." A woman's voice flows over me. _I know this voice._

"It's been a while, and you have been very busy." I can almost feel her grinning at me, which is kind of unnerving.

"I guess it has mystery voice. How have you been?" I ask, unsure of what else to ask this, apparent, omnipotent being.

"I've been well. Better than you, that's for sure." She gently laughs. _Well, I suppose she's not wrong._

"Well, while you're here I suppose I should tell you some things." The voice says. The room immediately transforms into a familiar, homey looking living room. _Wait, is this Reyna's living room?_ I'm sat on one of the sofas, and across from me in the armchair is a woman. She looks fairly tall, has pale skin, long black hair and a kind smile. _By all rights she is stunningly beautiful, but something feels off._

But what really grabs my attention are her eyes. One is the purest white and the other is the darkest black I have ever seen. _Well that's interesting._

"Who are you?" I ask quietly, feeling the power roll off this woman in tsunamis.

"I am Chaos, the creator of this Universe." She replies calmly, a warm grin spreading across her lips. _Are you fucking kidding me!_ I just stare at Chaos, unable to form any words.

"Staring is rude you know. Anyway, you have found out that it is my son Erebus that is causing you trouble at the moment. I just want to make it clear that he is working alone, none of the Primordial's are backing him in anyway." She states firmly, making me nod along. _I'm not going to argue with the creator of the Universe. I didn't even know the other Primordial's still existed._

"Due to the laws that I made, I am unable to interfere at all. But that doesn't mean I don't want to help." Chaos continues, a mischievous grin on her face. _What's she thinking?_ I blink and Chaos is next to me on the sofa. _That's not unnerving._

"I could give you my blessing. Give you powers beyond your wildest dreams." She offers, smiling sweetly. But there is something hidden behind her smile and in her eyes, almost like she's challenging me. _What's she planning?_

"I don't think I can accept that offer." I reply nervously, leaning away from the ancient being slightly. But her smile turns from fairly sinister back to a warmer smile.

"Good." She says quietly. _What the Hades is going on?_

"But, could you perhaps offer it to someone else?" I ask hesitantly, struggling to maintain eye contact with her. She raises an eyebrow at me, but waits for me to continue.

"In our last battle, it became staggeringly clear that I couldn't protect Reyna properly." I admit, looking down. Angry at myself that I'm telling the truth. _Am I just a magnet for bad luck?_ Chaos looks at me, surprised at my request.

"I can ask, but the choice is hers. I cannot force power on anyone that doesn't accept." Chaos finally replies, sitting back. Intrigue filling her eyes. _I think._ "Thank you." I say, bowing my head towards the Primordial. But Chaos stops me by placing a hand on my forehead and pushing my head back up.

"It's about time you were waking up, don't you think?" Chaos says, her voice starting to get a little distant. The room begins to blur around us, but Chaos just smiles at me.

"Good luck my little wolf, and remember. Don't fear the skies, they are everyone's to enjoy" She says cryptically before her face blurs out of focus and everything goes black once again. _The Hades does that mean? The sky is terrifying!_

(Line Break)

I am in a different darkness this time. I can hear the quiet inhale and exhale of someone breathing, and the quiet rustling of pages being turned. _Am I in Reyna's office?_

I try and open my eyes but it feels like they have been glued shut. I try again and manage to force open my eyes and am instantly blinded by the bright lights and groan as I try and cover my eyes. _Ah fuck, I was not expecting that._

A muffled gasp comes from my left. I turn and see a Nymph looking at me in surprise, a book laid across her lap. _Where am I?_

"You're awake?" Is all the Nymph says, jumping to her feet. I blink and she's already out the door and running to Gods knows where. _That was weird._ I try and push myself up but soon realise that everything hurts, so I remain lying down and look at the room around me. _This doesn't look like the infirmary in New Rome._ After about a minute the Nymph comes running back into the room with Apollo right behind her. _So I'm in Apollo's palace then._

"Percy! You don't know how long we've been waiting for you to wake up." He smiles, walking over to the bed. _We?_ An inferno appears in the corner of the room and Hestia steps out. _Oh. That makes sense._

"Percy! Thank the Creator it's true." Hestia exclaims, striding over to me with the happiest smile I think I've ever seen grace her lips. _How long was I asleep?_

"W-what happened?" I ask, my voice gravelly and my throat dry. Apollo appears at my side with a glass of water and I slowly but gratefully take it from him.

"What's the last thing that you remember?" Hestia asks, confusing me a little.

"Um… fighting that monster army, and Reyna. Reyna got hurt." I reply, my voice still very croaky. Hestia sighs and sits in a chair that appears beneath her.

"Percy, I'm afraid that I didn't tell you everything about being a Champion." Hestia reveals quietly. _Well this should be interesting._

"As a last resort Champions can go into a state we call an Invocation. It is a state in which all your abilities, both physical and powers are increased exponentially." Hestia starts, even Apollo is listening intently as he pulls up his own chair.

"An Invocation is when the Champion fully embraces the domains they have received from their Patron. So for you, that would mainly be pyrokinesis, so fire you became." _While that all sounds like fun and games, where's the downside?_

"But for a Champion to unleash this state they must be faced with intense emotional pain. I don't know what exactly set it off for you, but from the state Reyna was in I can imagine it has something to do with her injuries. I may have forgotten to pass on this bit of information." Hestia admits. _I still don't feel like that's the bad bit._

"However, the first time that a Champion Invokes is very dangerous to just about everyone around. You lose yourself to the power and everything becomes a target, and your more primal instincts push you to destroy all in your way. You nearly attacked Piper and Nico during yours." She reveals, sending a shiver up my spine. _I nearly attacked those two? But why?_

"But somehow you still knew who Reyna was and when you realised that they were helping her, you stopped. That's some iron will you've got there buddy." Apollo chimes in, flooding my chest with relief.

"So how long have I been in bed then. I mean if that's all it can't have been that long." I ask, my throat starting to feel better after my second glass of water. Hestia and Apollo look between themselves nervously before replying. _That long huh?_

"You've effectively been in a coma for 3 months." Apollo tells me. _3 Months! That can't be right._ I look between the two Gods with wide eyes, but neither of them changes the answer.

"When you were brought to me, you were so injured that we thought that you might die. You were like a bloody porcupine with how many arrows and spear heads were sticking out of you, and your arm was…" Apollo seems to shudder at the memory before continuing.

"Your arms was so burnt and mangled that I thought I was going to have to amputate it. But I managed to save it. You know, cause I'm awesome." Apollo grins, blinding me with his incredibly white teeth. "When a Champion Invokes for the first time, their body needs to adjust to the change. It usually knocks them out for a few days, but because of the extent of your injuries it has taken a little longer." Hestia tries for a small smile, and I can't help but smile back at the situation. _Of course the worst thing would happen to me._

"So can I Invoke whenever I want now?" I ask, curious as the extent of my abilities.

"Like I said before, it is a last resort weapon. But yes, you can Invoke anytime now. For short periods of time there won't be any kind of repercussions, but if you Invoke for longer than about hour or so things will start to go down hill. You will start to lose yourself to the flames, and you will burn yourself out and die." Hestia explains. _That's a downside if I've ever heard one._ _Great._ Slowly I push myself up into a sitting position, strength trickling back into my arms. Hestia quickly pulls my pillow up behind me so that I can lean on it.

"So how do I Invoke? I should probably train with it some." I ask, making the pair of the look nervous again. _If I have this power, I need to learn how to use so that I can protect people._

"I don't really know." Hestia quietly replies. _What?_

"Sorry, what?" I ask dubiously. _How could neither of them know?_

"None of the Champion's ever explained how they went into the state." Hestia says shyly. _I guess that's not their faults._

"Fair enough. I guess I'll have to wing it." I grin at the pair of them, making them both visibly relax and tense up at the same time.

"Can I see Reyna please?" I ask, moving onto the much more important question. _In my opinion._ Hestia smiles and nods, before disappearing in a burst of flames.

"No word of a lie Percy, you looked pretty cool when you invoked. Definitely the coolest Invocation I've ever seen." Apollo grins, a playful glint in his eyes.

"And you have one great girl by your side. She didn't budge from your bedside until I told her to go back to New Rome, and I'm pretty sure if she wasn't injured she would have fought me to let her stay and I don't know if I would have won that fight." He finishes with a laugh that I can't help but join in on. _Yea, that sounds like Reyna._

"How was she?" I ask when we stop laughing, turning Apollo fairly serious.

"A lot better than she would have been." He states firmly before continuing.

"There was a lot of damage to her left eye and her right shoulder. Mix in a few minor cuts and bruises around the ribs and that's what state she was in." Apollo informs me, sound more professional than I have ever heard him before.

"I saw her get kicked away and shot in the shoulder. I think that's what set off and made me Invoke I guess." I try and recall. _Was that really 3 months ago? What's been happening at Camp?_ I look down at my hands, gripping the blanket tight, the memory making my blood boil. _I nearly failed again, should I even be allowed to be with Reyna? I could get her killed._

"Well regardless of what it was, it's happened now and you need to figure it out quick. Because I get the feeling that it is going to be needed in the coming battles." Apollo grins grimly, no hint of amusement in his voice. _Well isn't he mister serious today._ A burst of flame snaps my attention over to the door, where I spot Reyna and Hestia. One look at Reyna and my heart stops.

Dressed in her normal purple toga, armour and glittery cloak she looks more breathtaking than I have ever seen her in my life. She's had her hair cut to hang just above her shoulders, with a small braid holding her hair behind her left ear. The multiple lights of the room are reflecting like constellations in her eyes, even the scar that cuts down through the left side of her eye to her cheek somehow enhances her beauty. _I seriously love this girl._

But just like that my head explodes with pain just behind my right eye. I put my hand to my eye and gasp at the pain, as memories of my conversation with Chaos come flooding back. _What did her parting words mean?_

"Percy!" Reyna calls out, followed by the sound of her running over to us. I slowly turn back to her and give her a small smile, her mere presence easing my pain and calming me down.

"I think I over slept a little." I grin, making her frown slightly as tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes. _No, don't cry._

"I swear to all the Gods Percy, if you scare me like that again. I'll kill you myself." She states angrily as she wipes the tears from her eyes. But I can only smile at the girl standing so confidently in front of me. _She really is terrifying sometimes._

"I'll keep that in mind." I return, the pain beginning to fade from my head. That seems to be enough for Reyna as she leans forward and crushes me into a hug that would put Tyson to shame. _I guess this is how I die._

She suddenly loosens her grip, but only to lean back slightly so that she can kiss me. _I wouldn't mind dying like this._

"Um, we'll leave you two to catch up." Apollo awkwardly stands from his chair, pulling a grinning Hestia from the room. _She looked like an excited schoolgirl._

"I'll tell your mother your awake!" Hestia manages to call out, as they exit the room. _Oh crap! I'm in for a world of pain._

"So, what've I missed?" I ask, as Reyna quickly pulls off her armour and slides into the bed next to me. I wrap my arms around her, vanilla floating around my nose.

 _I'm so glad she's safe._

 **(Erebus POV)**

"Everything is moving along smoothly my lord. With the attack on Camp Half-Blood, and now the attack on the Hunt. We have dealt some pretty heavy blows to those weak Demigods." Adam informs me, his metal hand gleaming in the torchlight. _I'm surprised I haven't had to remove anything else._ I look down at the boy, who is quivering slightly as he kneels. _Good._

"What about the Romans?" I question, tapping my armrest with my finger lightly.

"The force is now ready for the assault. We plan to learn their defences and cripple their force, so that when the time comes we can crush them in one fell swoop." Alex replies, the fist shaped burn on his face stretching ugly as he talks. _Perseus Jackson really did a number on these two. Maybe I should have recruited him instead._

"What has taken so long?" I ask, making the two boys flinch.

"Our southern force was intercepted, only a few hundred were killed. But we felt we should replenish our number before the attack." Adam replies shakily, his voice going up an octave with fear.

"I'm assuming we dealt with the interceptors?" By the way the boys flinch and pale considerably I get my answer.

"How many were there?" I ask angrily, wrapping the two boys in shadows.

"Two Demigods and one of the Hunts wolves, at first." Alex replies, looking away nervously.

"And do you know who these masters of war were? And who showed up to help?" I question, leaning forward in my chair slightly.

"Percy Jackson and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. But then all of the new Minor Gods turned up to hurry them away before we could finish them." Alex replies, still looking nervous. _Percy Jackson, what a hindrance he is becoming._ I sigh and rub my temples, groaning with annoyance.

"But, our spies inside New Rome say that Percy never returned from the battle and the rumour is that he died." Adam quickly adds in, stopping my thoughts of punishment. "Hmm, this could be good for us. If he is truly dead, then we have done away with one of the biggest threats to us." I grin, releasing them from my shadows.

They both breathe a sigh of relief and drop to their knees once again.

"Commence with the attack on New Rome. Both of you lead the assault and make sure everything goes smoothly." I order, shooing them away with the wave of my hand. The pair of them basically run for the room whilst I grin to myself. _Now if only the others would see how great this is going to be. Even Nyx turned her back on me. I'll show them. I'll show them all!_

"Sire we have a guest. He says he can help with the attack on New Rome." A shade appears in front of me with a black haired boy.

"It is a pleasure My Lord." The boy bows. _At least he knows who to respect._

"So you can help with the assault?" I question, looking down at the boy. The boy looks up with madness in his eyes. _This could be good._

"Oh yes, I really can."

 ** _A/N: Here it is, I don't know why I've taken to writing longer chapters, but I have. I hope that you enjoy it and you all know the drill by now._**

 ** _See you next time._**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

While Reyna fills me in on what happened over the last few months, she cuddles in closer to my chest and relaxes into my arms.

"We were expecting the monsters to attack, so we readied all of our defences. But nothing came." Reyna's warm breath against my skin sends electricity through my body. But there is an undertone of concern in her voice.

 **"** For 2 months, not much else happened until we exiled Benjamin and his gang." She continues, hopefully not noticing my pounding heart. _Wait, what?_

"You exiled him? Isn't that a little dangerous? Couldn't he…" I trail off, looking down at a now somewhat confused Reyna. Her confusion slowly but surely turns to worry. _There we go._

"Oh Gods! He knows everything about Camp, and it's not exactly like he has any ties to it either. He was definitely crazy enough when exiled him." She realises, her eyes growing wide. _Crazy enough? She makes it sound like he wasn't crazy to begin with._

"Ah! If only I had been paying more attention, I wouldn't have suggested exile." Reyna panics, trying to sit up. But I gently pull her back down into a hug.

"It's ok." I tell her, stroking her hair.

"It's not, I could have sent him right into the enemies hands and then he'll lead them back into Camp." The worry is still evident in her voice. But I just rub circles into her back and rest my cheek on top of her head. _She's quite cute when she's worried. Not the time Percy!_

"It'll be ok. We'll just make some adjustments to our defences, they won't know what hit them." I grin. Reyna sighs in defeat and leans her head against my chest again. _I wonder if Chaos has spoken to her yet?_

"There was also a horrible attack on the Hunt." She tells me quietly.

"What!" Shock raising my voice a few octaves. Flinching slightly at my words, Reyna looks up at me with sad eyes.

"Yea, and they lost a lot of Hunters. One of those Shades from your dream pretended to be Zoë Nightshade to gain their trust, and then it attacked and killed about a third of the Hunt when Diana and Thalia weren't there." She continues, looking down and hiding her face. _Is Jenna ok? Gods, what about Riley and the others?_

But before I can ask her the doors to the room fly open and makes me jump slightly. _I'll have to find out about the others later._

I snap my attention to the door and freeze. Standing in the doorway is the one and only, Sally Jackson. _Ah, shit._

"Hi mu-" I start, but the glare in her eyes freezes the words in my throat. _I'm dead, I'm so dead._ Mum stomps over to my bed, every step making me flinch slightly.

"Um, I'm just gonna slip away for a second. Love you." Reyna whispers as she quietly rolls off my bed and clears out of the way, exchanging a small smile with mum. _I feel so betrayed._

I quickly throw a pleading look at Hestia and Apollo, who are now standing by the door with matching grins as they slowly shake their heads. Mum stops at the edge of my bed and glares down at me with her thundering blue eyes, and we just stare at each other for a minute. Me in absolute terror, her in what I'm assuming is fairly justified anger.

"What were you thinking?" Her calm voice really doesn't match with the anger in her eyes. _That's not what you should be worrying about Percy, just answer the question correctly._

"Um, protect Reyna and Midnight? Or something along those lines." I reply uncertainly, looking everywhere but at my mum's eyes. I catch a small smile on Reyna's lips before a humourless laugh pulls my attention back to mum.

"Of course." She mutters. "Always so damn heroic aren't you. You could have died." She whispers, her angry front dropping away to worry and borderline despair. I fly out of my bed and wrap her in a hug.

"But I didn't." I whisper into her ear, as her arms wrap around me and her tears drop onto my shoulder.

"And if I didn't do what I did, Reyna and Midnight would have definitely died. I just couldn't let that happen." I add, hugging her even tighter. _I can't make her worry like this. It'll kill her._

I can feel mum trying to come up with a good counter to what I said, but she knows I'm right and I'm pretty sure she has a soft spot for Reyna now. _I'm sure this is going to be bad for me in the future._

"I suppose I can let it go this time. But I swear Percy, if you pull a stunt like this again."

"I know, and don't worry. I don't plan on visiting Hades realm anytime soon." I grin at her as she steps away, wiping a few tears from her eyes. _Well that resolved itself without any blood shed._ I take a seat on the edge of my bed and look at everyone around me. _Why isn't Midnight here?_

"Hey, where's Mid-" Before I can finish my question, pain explodes across my back. _What the Hades!_

I can hear voices call my name, but the pain is so all consuming that I can barely distinguish whose voice is whose. I can't even tell if I'm screaming in pain or not. _Haven't I been through enough pain already recently?_ But then, as quickly as it had come, it disappears. Not even a dull throb remains. I find that I am curled up on the floor, and I slowly start to push myself up.

"What in Pluto's name just happened?" Reyna gasps, helping me back to my feet. _That's a bloody good question._

"I have no idea, maybe it was just a delayed bit of healing that his body still needed to process." Apollo suggests from his corner of the room. _That didn't feel like healing._ I hear a quiet gasp come from Reyna and I turn to her with a curious expression.

"What?" I ask. But her eyes are fixed on my back. I try and follow her gaze, but can't turn my head far enough to see what she's looking at.

"Hey, you guys should see this." Reyna says, forcibly spinning me around so that my back is facing everyone. _She could have just asked._ A collective of gasps and one 'huh', really aren't helping me not imagine the worst.

"What is it?" I half demand, trying to look at my back over my shoulder again. _They're really starting to freak me out._

"Well Percy." Apollo begins, before I hear a light slap, which is followed by a quiet 'Ow'.

"What was that for?" Apollo whines, presumably at his attacker.

"This needs to be handled with more care." Hestia insists. I hear her light steps as she glides towards me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you sit down for this?" She suggests gesturing towards the bed. _Yep, I'm not worrying now._

I do as I'm told and sit on the bed and look at everyone's faces, which are all showing different expressions. Mum looks a bit worried, Apollo has a curious grin flickering at the corner of his mouth, Hestia is looking a little confused and Reyna seems pretty unfazed. _Nice to know that at least one of them is keeping calm about this._

"It looks like you have a new tattoo." Hestia finally reveals, which actually makes me laugh out loud a bit. But from the concerned look in her eyes, I quickly stop. _What's so bad about a new tattoo?_

"Sorry, but why is this a bad thing? It's only a tattoo." I ask, probably a little too casually, as Reyna lightly smacks me on the side of the head.

"Was that really necessary?" I moan, rubbing the sore spot on my head. _Is it really that serious?_

"Percy, what happened when you got your last magical tattoo?" Reyna asks softly, trying to lead me somewhere with her question.

"I was made Hestia's Champion." I return, still not really seeing the importance. _I know I'm not anyone else's Champion._

"Percy, this means someone has given you something. Be it power, or some sort of gift." Hestia informs me, sounding more than a little worried. _Oh, she wouldn't have. Would she?_

"And this couldn't be just a delayed Champion thing from you? Or some decorative piece someone gave me?" I ask, starting to feel a little nervous and maybe a little nauseous.

"No." Hestia deadpans, sending my nerves up a few notches.

"What is the tattoo?" I ask, curiosity finally getting the better of me. Hestia snaps her fingers and a mirror appears in front of me, and in the reflection I can see that a second has appeared behind me. I squint at the mirror and I am taken back by what I see. On my back, stretching from about my shoulder blades to my waist is a winged reaper. The wings spread to the edge of my shoulders, just avoiding my Champion tattoo. The reaper itself is wearing its standard long robe and hood, but its face is blacked out and two green and red orbs glow from within the black.

The reaper is holding a familiar looking sword between its hands, the tip resting on the ground between its feet. _Wait, is that Riptide?_ I am stunned silent by the beauty and intricacy of the tattoo, that when I look up at the others, we all just kind of stare at each other in awed silence. _What is going on? Is this Chaos' doing? No, I turned down her offer._

"So… Do you feel different?" Mum asks, breaking the seemingly endless silence.

"I don't think so. I mean, when I got my tattoo from Hestia I felt the power she had given me. I knew it was there." I explain, looking back into the mirror at me new tattoo.

"But this… I don't feel anything. It doesn't even hurt anymore." I finish, probably looking about as confused as I feel. Another silence follows, but this time it is more out of confusion. Reyna is the first to break away from the silence that ensues. Coming over to sit next to me, she wraps her arms around me and buries her face into the crook of my shoulder.

"Let's go home." She whispers, making me smile as I kiss the top of her head and wrap an arm around her. I look back up at Apollo and Hestia, who are both still looking a little confused. _Home sounds good._

"Am I free to go? Or is there something else?" I ask. They look at each other and shrug before turning back to me.

"Well, you're in tip top shape. I should know, I fixed you. So there is no reason for you to stay here anymore." Apollo shrugs again, turning to Hestia. "I do have a little task for you. But it can wait a day or two." She smiles warmly, looking from Reyna to me. _I wonder what that's going to be?_

"You're coming home for the day." Mum states firmly, making all of us look at her. She is standing defiantly, with a look on her face that is leaving no room for discussion. _I guess I'm going home._

"Sure, that sounds fun. Can Reyna come?" I ask, and mum expression immediately softens.

"Of course she can. She's been around more than you have lately." She replies, glancing happily at Reyna. _Did I miss something?_ But Reyna just smiles at mum and then back at me. _I definitely missed something._

"I can take you home if you want." Hestia offers, but I just shake my head.

"I've been lying down for 3 months. I need to stretch my legs a little, and mum apartment isn't too far. I'll walk, but please can you take mum home." I ask. Hestia nods in reply and walks over to my mum and in an instant of flames they are gone.

"Should we get going to?" I whisper to Reyna, who is still holding onto me like this is all a dream and I might disappear. Slowly she turns her head until she is looking me in the eye with her beautiful black eyes.

"You might want to get dressed first." She grins, throwing a quick glance down at my chest. _What?_ I look down at myself and find that I am wearing nothing but painfully white boxers. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I kind of want to jump of Olympus headfirst. But Reyna's soft laugh, stops my self destructive thoughts and I can only smile at the sound. _I love her laugh._ I quickly throw my repaired clothes on, _thank you Hestia,_ and we head out to my mums.

(Line Break)

It's a nice walk through the city, it's not as busy as I thought it was going to be, so it is a lot quieter than usual. We make it to mums apartment in no time. I give the doorman a quick wave as we walk past him and head up to the flat. We are greeted by an excited Lilly and an exhausted looking Paul. _Lilly must be running him ragged._ But when he looks up at us, he reenergises immediately and smiles wide.

"Percy! I can't believe you're awake!" He exclaims, rushing over and crushing me into a hug.

"It's good to see you to Paul." I return his hug for a second before he moves to hug Reyna.

"It's good to see you again Reyna. It feels like yesterday when you were last here." Paul smiles after he lets her go.

"That's because it _was_ yesterday." Reyna grins back, surprising me a little. _Reyna was here yesterday?_ I'm pulled from my thoughts by a small tug on my trousers. I look down and see a happy Lilly.

"You woke up." She states happily, thrusting both her hands towards me expectantly. Without a seconds delay I whisk her off her feet and do a quick spin, making her giggle.

"Yep, just so that I could see you." I whisper loudly, earning a fake look of hurt from Reyna. Mum calls Paul and he disappears into the kitchen, talking about something I can't quite make out, so I turn to Reyna.

"How often did you visit my mum?" I ask her as we head for the living room. Her cheeks begin to turn scarlet as a small smile spreads on her lips.

"Once or twice a week, she even let me stay a few nights. It helped both of us cope. I really thought you might not wake up for a while." She says, her voice cracking a little while she sits down on the sofa. She takes a deep breath to collect herself, maybe to stop herself from crying. _Mum, I'm convinced you're an angel without wings._

"It was nice to have someone to talk to about everything." She says, guilt beginning to build in my chest.

"You were sleeping for ages." Lilly exclaims jumping to her feet on my lap as I sit down, and almost stepping somewhere I'd rather she didn't.

"Yea, I was really sleepy. Reyna doesn't let me sleep much." I grin, watching Reyna's eyes grow wide out of the corner of mine.

"That's not good." Lilly replies seriously, turning to Reyna.

"Say sorry." She commands Reyna, who looks conflicted between stabbing me and not getting blood on Lilly. She eventually sighs and looks down at Lilly apologetically.

"Sorry, I'll try not to keep him up from now on." Reyna apologises to the now happy looking toddler. When Lilly looks back at me, Reyna shoots me a dangerous glare. Almost threatening to put me back in a coma. _Yea, that's going to come and bite me in the ass later._

We spend the next few hours playing with Lilly, and she seems to have a real love for all of her fish plushies and toys. _Obviously._

Mum comes into the living room holding a tray of blue cookies and drinks and sits down with us. I can hear Paul on the phone in the kitchen, talking about something that sounds relatively important. _Must be a teacher thing._

With a mouth full of cookies I turn to mum, who is staring quite intently at Reyna's face, or more specifically the scar through her left eye.

"Reyna, you must be a much better fighter than Percy if that's the only scar you've got. I can't even see any more on you." Mum says, I definitely don't miss the subtle dig at me. I narrow my eyes at her for a second, before grinning a little. _To be fair, if you don't know about her spell you really would think that._

"It's hard to say, he just makes more mistakes than I do." Reyna grins, glancing at me quickly. _Mum doesn't know that Reyna has worse scars than even I do._

"But you've been fighting monsters your whole life. It's just amazing that you aren't covered in scars like Percy is." She says, genuine amazement in her words. I notice Reyna tense up slightly. _I was not expecting this topic to come up. Why hasn't she covered it?_

"The truth is, I am." Reyna admits slowly. I can see the horrible memories flashing behind her eyes. I reach out and take her hand in mine, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Really? But I've never seen them." Mum says, looking at Reyna's exposed arms. Reyna brushes her arm a little nervously, but she slowly composes herself.

"I suppose I can show you." Reyna replies, sounding a lot more confident than she looks.

"Are you sure?" I ask her quietly. She nods, takes a deep breath and mutters her quick incantation under her breath. But I am close enough to just make out what she says.

"Quod revelare abscondita est, secreti nudum ponere." Which if I'm not wrong, roughly translates to 'Reveal that which is hidden, lay my secrets bare'. _I guess that makes sense._ After glowing purple for a second, all her scars start to slowly trace up her arms, down her neck and under her toga.

I immediately feel my anger towards Bellona building, but with an inquisitive looking Lilly on my lap I quickly calm back down. One of mum's hands goes to her mouth as she watches the scars grow, a look of horror in her eyes.

"Oh Gods Reyna, I had no idea. How did you get all of these? They look like they were made by a blade rather than claws or something like that." Mum gasps, leaning forward in her chair.

"Bellona was kind enough to take my sister and me in as a children." Is all Reyna says, but by the look in mums eyes I can tell that she understands.

"She did this to you?" Mum whispers, horror painting her eyes a dark blue. Reyna nods solemnly in response, as she quickly whispers her other incantation and all the scars disappear again.

"Who taught you how to do that?" Mum asks, sensing that pressing on about Bellona would be a sore subject.

"I was on Circe's Island for a while. Well, that was until…" She trails off, turning to me with a small grin. Mum picks up on the hint and turns to me as well.

"What did you do?" She accuses, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"I didn't do anything. It was Annabeth, she's the one that released Black Beard." I defend myself. Annabeth's name barely catching in my mouth now. _I guess I'm slowly coming to terms with everything._

"What?" Mum asks in disbelief. I recant the voyage of the Sea of Monsters, much to everyone's apparent delight and horror in mum's case. But mainly delight for Lilly and Reyna's. _I did say I would tell Reyna more of my stories._

We continue to sit in the living room for the rest of the afternoon, chatting aimlessly about, well, just about everything. Paul stuck his head in for a minute, saying that he was needed at school for some kind of emergency. Which was weird considering that it's a Saturday. _Maybe some kid needed a home visit or something._

I look between Reyna and mum, talking animatedly and laughing amongst themselves like they've been friends for years. _Now if Midnight were here, this would be perfect. I wonder how she's holding up with the Hunters?_

Noticing my concern Reyna turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

"What're you thinking about?" She asks, tucking her legs up under herself as she leans on my shoulder.

"Not much, just wondering how Midnight is doing with the Hunt." I concede with a frown. From what Reyna told me, she must have been devastated by what happened to the Hunt and their wolves.

"She was pretty torn up about it. But I think that she's doing better, and she will be delighted when she sees you." Reyna informs me, sounding a little hopeful. _That's good._

I go to look at my watch, but realise that it's not on my wrist. With a smile Reyna raises her wrist up in front of me, revealing my large shiny silver watch hanging from her thin wrist.

"Been looking after this have we?" I joke, taking the watch from her wrist. _I'm pretty sure that both times she's worn this she's been shot._

"Well, I couldn't just throw it away because I get shot with it every time you give it to me." She laughs quietly, a small smile on her face.

"I'll just have to show you how to use it properly." I grin back.

"What? You've been shot twice?" Mum asks, alarmed by this piece of information.

"Yea, because she can't use a shield to save her life. Literally." I snigger, watching as Reyna turns a light shade of red and then as she punches me in the leg. _Yea, I guess that's fair._

"It's just different from a Roman shield." She defends, as mum nods along in understanding. I attach the watch to my wrist and check the time. _Huh, it's 8:45pm. Where has the day gone?_

"I'd say it's just about time we were getting home. Midnight will be going mad." I regretfully admit, watching mums face drop a little. _I hate leaving her, but I have to and that kills me._

"I guess you're right." Mum says, sounding a little sad. But she smiles all the same as she stands up. I look down at Lilly who is playing happily on the floor at my feet and give her a little poke. With a happy giggle she looks up at me with big eyes.

"Reyna and I have to go now. We'll come and visit again soon, ok." I tell her with a smile.

"Can you bring Wolfie next time?" She asks, her eyes sparkling a little at the idea. _Wolfie? Can she see Midnight as a wolf? No, it must just be some sort of nickname._

"Sure I can. I think she might like you more than me." I finish with a whisper and a wink, making her eyes go wide with surprise. But she nods excitedly and she smiles at both of us. I lean down and give her a quick kiss on the head before standing and hugging mum tightly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." I whisper. Feeling her nod into my shoulder I step back from her and smile as brightly as I can at her. I turn to Reyna who is holding Lilly in her arms and talking quietly with her. Mum steps over and envelops the pair of them in a hug. _I'm glad they're so close._

"Come by anytime, our door is always open." Mum tells her before letting go and taking Lilly from her arms.

"Thank you." Reyna replies happily.

 _"_ _Hey Hestia, how generous are you feeling today?"_ I half ask and half joke in my head.

 _"_ _That's a joke right."_ She deadpans, making me laugh out loud. Earning odd looks from the others. _I feel like she doesn't get my sense of humour._

 _"_ _Yes it is. Could you send Reyna and myself back to New Rome please?"_ I ask politely, not wanting to annoy Hestia enough to make us walk there. When she doesn't reply for a minute, I really think that she might make us walk.

 _"_ _Of course I can, just grab hold of Reyna and I can send you home."_ She tells me. I step back over to where Reyna and mum are still talking and I place my arm over her shoulders.

"I got us a ride. You might want to step back mum." I suggest, making her jump back a few paces. We exchange quick goodbyes and then in the blink of an eye, we are back in Reyna's house. But before I can say anything, I'm tackled by a flying mass of fur. Which sends me straight to the ground with a loud thump and a lot of pain.

"Ow." I groan, pushing my hands through Midnights fur. _Why does everyone think hurting me is the best idea?_

 _"_ _Your back!"_ Midnight exclaims happily, licking my face.

 _"_ _Yep, and all in one piece."_ I reply just as happily, wrapping my arms around her.

 _"_ _I missed you so much."_ She cries, lying down on me and rubbing her head against me with a small whine.

 _"_ _I missed you too little Lady, and I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me falling, you wouldn't have got shot." I apologise, making Midnight paw me in the face. Ow._

 _"_ _Don't be stupid, it was my choice. So all the fault lies with me."_ She says calmly, love in all of her words. I nod in reply and hug her tight again.

 _"_ _Now, never do anything that stupid ever again."_ She growls at me, making me laugh. _Everyone has said the same thing. It's not like I plan these things._

 _"_ _I'll do my best."_ I grin, pushing her off of me. I look up at Reyna, who is watching us with an amused expression. I climb to my feet and over exaggeratedly brush off my trousers.

"I only just got these cleaned you know." I moan with a grin, making everyone laugh. _Home sweet home._

"Now let get some food. I'm starving." I state, heading towards the kitchen.

 _How many more normal nights like this will we have?_

 **(Adam POV)**

 _It is finally time for our assault on that wretched Roman camp. Revenge was my desire, but with that brat Percy missing, I guess I'll have to kill everyone he loves. I hear he still has a mother._

I scratch at my arm, where metal meets flesh. A permanent reminder of what that worthless Sea Spawn did to me. I turn to Alex, who is riding beside me on a chariot made of darkness, and rest a hand on his shoulder.

"It is almost time Brother. We will crush this city and wipe them from history." Barely restraining the excitement in my voice I let go of Alex's shoulder as he turns to me. _Without the Romans, the Greeks will fall easily._

"Indeed we shall Brother. But I do have just one request, if that is ok with you?" He asks, a dangerous glint in his eyes. _What's he up to?_

"Of course Brother, what is it?" I ask in return, intrigued by his sudden question.

"When we are pillaging New Rome, there is one person I want to make suffer in particular. So if we could capture her and make her watch as we destroy her beloved city. Then I will take her as mine, for a while that is. Then I will kill her in the most painful way I can imagine. That would make me truly happy Brother." Alex expands, his hand twitching with excitement as he no doubt begins to imagine what he is going to do to this poor soul. _He always did have a slightly twisted personality._

"Who is it that has garnered such focus from you Brother?" I inquire, trying to remember the last time he was this focused on one person.

"Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. The Consul of New Rome and Percy Jacksons lover." He grins manically. _What a brilliant idea. If Percy Jackson isn't dead, her cries of pain and despair will certain call him home. Then with his death, my revenge will be complete_

"Yes Brother, I do believe that will be fine. Do with her as you please." I tell him, feeling my own grin begin to grow. I quickly look over my shoulder and glance at the army marching behind us. We have Monsters and Demigods alike, spreading as fare as the eye can see. We even have a couple of Lord Erebus' shades in our ranks, and I am sure that word has spread of the attack on the Hunters of Artemis.

 _Two days Rome. Two days until we break your will and crush all hope of surviving the coming war._

 **(Thalia POV)**

Staying in New Rome hasn't been that bad really, and it has been nice being able to go to sleep without worry of being attacked by monsters. I look around at the rest of the Hunters as they go about their daily activities. Be it training or threatening some poor legionary boy. _They do seem to enjoy that._

But the last month has been difficult for all of us. We lost 30 girls in that attack a month ago, and a lot of them were more experienced Hunters. Then I find out that Percy is in a coma and no one knows when he'll wake up, _if he wakes up_. Then there was the attack on Camp Half-Blood not that long ago. _So many have died in such a short period, and the war is still coming. If this keeps up, we wont make it till the start of the war._

I shake the dark thoughts from my head and walk over to the range we had set up outside the Temple of Diana. I spot Jenna already at the range sitting near a small girl, with black hair and pale skin. _Is Jenna teaching Riley how to shoot? How the Hades does that work?_

I walk over to the pair of them and just catch Jenna as she finishes explaining the flaws in Riley's stance, and how she can rectify them. _Is she really blind?_

"Hey Thalia." Jenna calls out, not even turning towards me. _That still freaks me out a little._

"How's practice going?" I ask, trying to keep my underlying concern out of my voice.

"It's going great! I can nearly hit a bullseye now." Riley exclaims happily, holding her bow up in triumph. _Well I'll be damned. I thought it would be the blind leading the blind here._

"That's great. Can you show me?" I reply just as happily, walking over to Jenna and taking a seat next to her. She offers me a small smile before looking towards the sky. _Well I guess she's not actually looking at the sky._

Excitedly, Riley pulls an arrow from her quiver and nocks it on her bow. She takes a deep breath, shuffles her feet around for a second and raises her bow. Then in one fluid movement, pulls the arrow back to her cheek and looses it down range. The arrow streaks towards the target and hits just to the left of the bullseye. Her form is perfect, obviously the whole process was a bit slow. But she is still new to all this.

"That was great! I think we will be moving onto moving targets soon." I praise the small daughter of Hades, whose eyes light up like beacons. _I should probably ask Nico to teach her how to use her powers as well._

"Really?" Riley asks, excitement overflowing from her, reminding me of Nico when we first met him all those years ago.

"Yep, but only when you can hit a bullseye." I say, igniting a new determined light in her eyes as she turns back to the target to carry on with practice.

"How're you doing?" I ask Jenna quietly after watching Riley shoot two more arrows. _Everyone has been struggling, but Jenna took it the worst._ Jenna's usual calm and confident demeanour drops for a second, but it's quickly back up in place before anyone else can notice it.

"I just can't get it out of my head that I could have done something." Jenna admits sadly, her face still pointed towards the sky like she's expecting something.

"I know the feeling. But you can't blame yourself for this, I can nearly 100% guarantee that if you had said something. No one would have listened to you." I admit, clenching my fists tightly. _We all fell into the trap so eagerly. I should have known it wasn't her; she didn't even have her old English accent._

"We all just wanted it to be true, so we didn't even think about it." I add quietly, barely even whispering. We sit in silence for a minute, the thudding of the arrows hitting the targets the only noise around.

"Something's coming." Jenna says ominously, still looking up at the sky.

"I can feel it in the air. A battle is drawing near, we need to get ready." She continues, finally looking down and turning towards me with a grim expression. _Must be a Bellona thing._

"When do you think Percy will wake up?" Jenna asks quietly, so that Riley doesn't hear. Or any of the other younger girls that he's brought to us. _They all seem fairly attached to the guy for some reason._

"I don't know. And it's driving me crazy." I fume quietly, pulling at the grass angrily. _Stupid Kelp Head!_

"But I can't even imagine what it's like for Reyna. She was there when it all went down, and I heard that he's Hestia's Champion. Whatever that means. But Piper said that he was cutting through monsters like butter." I continue, noticing Jenna tense up a little as I mention the Champion thing. _Did she already know that?_

"I just can't believe my _mother_ would send them on a suicide mission like that." She looks like the word mother leaves a bad taste in her mouth, and I can't really blame her. _She hasn't been apart of our world for very long, and she finds out that her mother is alive and well. But that she is a psychopath that is willing to kill her own daughter, I sure as Hades wouldn't take that._

"I just don't understand why she would do it. Reyna is so strong, fair and surprisingly kind under that stoic mask of hers." She continues; her voice breaking a little as tears start to build in the corner of her eyes. But before I can move to comfort her, she quickly brushes the tears from her eyes and turns her attention back to Riley. Who is setting up for her next shot.

"She's going to get a bullseye with this one." She says quietly, almost as if she doesn't trust her own voice right now. Putting the fact that she changed the subject so quickly to the side for a second I turn to Riley just as she fires, and true to Jenna's words Riley plants the arrow dead centre of the target. _How did she know?_

Riley looks about as shocked as I feel, but for a completely different reason. She turns to us with an awed expression, which soon turns to unadulterated joy as she jumps around. I glance at Jenna, who has a small smile on her lips as she watches the young girl. _She's taken a little longer than most girls do. But she's finally getting the hang of using a bow._

"I think everything is going to turn out ok though." I suddenly say, surprising myself a little as I get caught up in Riley's joy.

"Percy's been to Tartarus and back. It's going to take a lot more than a few monsters to bring him down for good." I add, not really sure who I am trying convince here. But Jenna turns to me slightly and nods her head in agreement.

 _Now the stupid fish boy needs to wake up before I start to look like an idiot for saying that._

(In The Evening)

The day turned out pretty uneventful after my chat with Jenna while Riley was training. There isn't much else to do around her except train, and we've been doing that for a month. _It's a reason why I hate staying in one place for too long._

I glance over at the horizon just as the sun starts to dip behind the hills, colouring the sky a multitude of reds and oranges. _Artemis will be starting her trek across the sky soon. I wonder how she's been doing? She's been keeping to herself for a while._

I walk towards Sophia, who is talking with a few of the older Hunters. She sees me coming and offers a small wave, before rejoining the heated conversation. _What're they talking about?_ Curiosity getting the better of me, I pick up the pace to join the conversation.

"… don't understand why we've had to stay here so long." A tall, heavyset girl with curly red hair complains.

"Roxy, we suffered a serious blow. A lot of the injured still can't do a lot in their current conditions. Alice might never be able to walk again for Gods sake!" Sophia returns angrily, but she sounds exhausted. _They must have been at this for a while._

"Yes, and it's very sad that they are all still injured. But why can't we go out while they are healing?" Roxy questions casually, making Sophia's expression turn from anger to horror and disgust. _Oh no._

"You would leave them here? Leave your sisters alone and defenceless in a place they barely know, with people they don't know." Sophia breathes quietly, her voice cold as ice. I quicken my pace to a jog as I see her hands clench into fists.

"Like I've said before. They are safe here, and no one would dare enter the Temple." Roxy replies casually, shrugging her shoulders with a small grin. _See, this is where not knowing someone's full past can get you in a lot of shit._

"You think, just because they will be in a temple, they will be safe?" Sophia hisses dangerously, making Roxy and the other Hunter take a step back in fear. Sophia steps up to the taller girl and shoves a finger in her face, her other hand resting on the hilt of her hunting knife.

"Because, you would be horribly wrong." She growls, her blue eyes shining dangerously. _She may be a daughter of Apollo, but damn she is terrifying._ After holding Roxy's gaze for a few seconds longer, Sophia storms past me back towards her tent. Not even stopping when I try and talk to her.

"What's she so wound up about? Lady Artemis would never let anyone into her Temple to harm the others." Roxy mutters, turning towards the Hunter who I can now identify as Caroline. _She's not a bad Hunter per say. She's just a little stuck in her ways._

"You really don't know, do you?" I ask in disbelief. Earning confused looks from the pair of them. _I know that a lot of the Hunters don't like to share their stories, but Sophia's is so often used as a warning._

"What're you talking about?" Caroline challenges, crossing her arms over chest with a huff and looking down her nose at me. _Never accepted me as Lieutenant, did you?_

"Sophia was one of the first to join the Hunt, right?" I start, watching the pair of the nod along.

"Her family was being chased by some mercenary Hoplites, and they took refuge in one of Artemis' temples. Along with a few others that were also running, they hid in the temple praying that the Hoplites wouldn't come in because of Artemis' protection." I sigh, taking a seat on the ground with the pair of them following suit, completely engrossed in the story.

"But Artemis can't be everywhere at once, and projections can't physically do anything to people. I was told that after a few days, the Hoplites attacked the temple." This earns a small gasp from Caroline.

"They killed all the men, and for days, they raped all the women, before leaving them all for dead. Sophia wasn't spared from that fate." I continue, looking down at the ground beneath my feet sadly.

"Artemis told me that when this was happening they were in the middle of a dangerous hunt and were fighting Echidna and her Chimera. They couldn't make it to the temple." I reveal quietly, looking back up at the pair of them. Caroline looks mortified, but Roxy looks a little unbothered by it. _That's a little odd. I get Caroline's reaction, but Roxy's is unexpected._

"By the time Artemis and the Hunt arrived a few days later, Sophia was the last alive and clinging to life be a thread. Artemis saved her life and she joined the Hunt, but she has always had an issue with using temples as a safe heaven and leaving Hunters anywhere by themselves. That's why we don't do it." I finish a little sternly, looking towards the blonde Hunters tent. _I'm amazed that she agreed to join the Hunt really._

"That's a sad story and all, but keep us all in one place because of one girls past. That's just ridiculous." Roxy sighs, looking a more than a little bored.

"I'm sorry, what?" I recoil, struggling to believe the words coming from her mouth.

"Its not like she's the only one of us to have a horrible story. So why does Artemis accommodate hers so much?" Roxy asks, making both a Caroline and myself stare at her in shock. _How isn't she getting this?_

"Because Artemis couldn't save those people in her own Temple. She feels personally responsible for all of their deaths. That's why she does it, she can't relive that." I tell her, not believing that I have to explain this to her. _Why is she fighting me on this?_

"Whatever, I think it's stupid." Roxy huffs, getting up and walking away. Leaving Caroline and me baffled as we watch her strut away. _What's up with her?_ I look at Caroline, who quickly shakes her head and holds her hands up as if to say, _I have no idea what she's talking about. I'm on your side._

I give her a small smile before walking towards my tent. The tiredness from the day starting to wash over me, making my body call for a bed.

(Line Break)

When I pull back the flap to my tent, I hear the quiet sobs of someone crying. I immediately freeze mid-step and scan the room, but I don't see anyone. _Damn these bigger on the inside tents._

I quietly pad through the sitting area of the tent and towards the bedroom compartment. I peak my head into the bedroom and spot a small bundle, with a mess of blonde hair, shivering on the other side of my bed. Slowly I make my way around the bed and realise that it's Sophia crying on the floor. _Poor girl, trying so hard to escape her past. I can't even begin to imagine watching everyone I know and love being murdered in front of me, on top of being… well… I'm sure you get the point._

I sit on the ground next to her and pull her into a hug, she turns and cries into my shoulder with pained sobs that spasm through her small body.

"It's ok." I sooth, rubbing her arm gently.

"B-but, how could she be so brazen about it? To so casually suggest leaving her sisters undefended. I-I just can't comprehend that." She sobs quietly, her voice beginning to break.

"I know. But don't worry, we won't be going anywhere without our sisters. I don't care how long it takes, we'll wait until they're all back on their feet." I try and reassure her. She sniffs a few times and wipes the tears from her eyes before looking up at me.

"Thank you." She whispers quietly, her eyelids struggling to stay open. _I guess she's sleeping here tonight._

"Have you heard anything about Percy?" She asks sleepily, taking me aback a little. _No one but Jenna has asked me about Percy._

"Not yet." I reply quietly. Sophia looks like she's about to say something else, but quickly falls asleep, her cheeks still wet from crying. I gently lift her up onto my bed and pull the duvet up to her chin, being careful not to wake her. I step over to the sofa that is in the corner of the room and crash onto it, suddenly feeling exhausted. I kick my combat boots off and pull the blanket on the sofa over myself.

 _I should get another bed for these kinds of situations._

 **(Nico POV)**

I come tumbling out of the shadows next to Thalia's tree and look out over camp. _It hasn't quite been the same since the attack._ The devastation from that day is still evident all around. There are scorch marks beyond the wall where Jason made his stand. There are chunks out of the walls from the crazy strong Cyclops' that were throwing like ballistae. _There are still fucking bloodstains for fuck sake. I should have been here._

I start to make my way towards the big house, keeping an eye out for Chiron. Or even Jason or Piper, if they are around. But none of them seem to be around right now, _heck I'd even settle for Leo. Wherever he's gone off to with Calypso._

I get this sort of itching sensation on the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades, a sensation I am all to used to. _Someone is watching me._

So as not to alert my new stalker, I don't look around immediately. I walk up to the big house door and knock loudly. Then, as casually as I can, turn around and look towards camp. Making it look like I am looking for Chiron. I slowly scan the camp, trying to find my new observer. But they are either very good at hiding their presence, or I was imagining it. _Which I very much doubt._

When no one answers the door I make my way towards the archery range, the next logical choice for Chiron. I decide walking is less suspect than just shadow travelling, as the odd sensation of being watched hasn't quite dissipated yet. I spot a few familiar faces in the Stoll's, Clarisse, Chris, Katie Gardener and Will Solace. _Clarisse looks a little off about something._

But I don't have time to stop and chat with any of them, I need to find Chiron as fast as possible. _Things are about to go down._

Getting closer to the archery range, I can make out Chiron's equine form as he instructs some of the younger campers on archery. But there is a strange aura about him and some of the campers near him. _See, being Hades Lieutenant, I can see how close someone is to death. Chiron has a sort of greyish aura, but some of the kids have a pitch-black aura._ _Something's not right here._

I quickly scan the surroundings as I pick up the pace towards the range. I expand all of my senses, trying to pick up anything or anyone that could be hiding near by. I don't sense anyone, but an uneasy feeling settles in my stomach as his aura grows darker.

"Nico, it's nice to see you. What brings you to camp?" Chiron asks as I step up next to him. I take a cautious look around before reply.

"Just here to chat." I say, looking at the concerned centaur.

"In private." I add with a whisper, throwing a quick look around again. Catching onto my growing nerves Chiron calls Will over to continue his lesson before we walk away, the auras of the class slowly returning to normal. _So Chiron is being targeted, interesting._

We walk into the Big House in silence, and I quickly lock the door behind us before following him into his office. _The feeling of being watched still following me._

"Now, what can I help you with Nico?" Chiron asks, shrinking into his wheelchair with an uncomfortable grunt.

"The Underworld is in unrest. Souls are being taken from Elysium, from the Fields of Punishment and even from the Gods forsaken queue at DOA Recording Studios." I inform him, my frustration beginning to rise. _How can souls even be useful? Its not like they can really do anything._

"But that's not even the worst of it. Macaria, Hypnos and the Mormolykeia are all missing." I tell him, picking up a small flare of someone's presence by the window.

"Tha-"

"Do you know where Jason is?" I talk over him, tilting my head ever so slightly towards the window and flicking my eyes toward it. Picking up on my hint, Chiron quickly joins my new topic.

"I do believe, that along with Piper, he is currently en route to New Rome. Something about an important meeting with Reyna." He says casually. So casually, that I can't even begin to guess if he is lying or not. _I'm actually a little impressed._

"That's a shame, I was ho-" The presence dissipates.

"Chiron, someone is watching you and I'm pretty sure that you are being targeted for something." I whisper urgently as I lean closer to him, glancing towards the window again.

"You think there is a spy in the camp?" He whispers back in shock. _That must bring back some bad memories._

"Well unless you have another person who can go invisible around here. Then yea, I do." I reply sarcastically, standing up and heading for the door.

"We will talk once I return." I add darkly.

"Where are you going?" Chiron asks as I reach for the door handle.

"I'm going to flush out our little infiltrator." I reply, turning back to him with a dangerous smile, making him flinch slightly.

 _Now let us begin this witch-hunt._

 **(Reyna POV)**

(The Next Day)

I slowly leave Morpheus' realm, light dancing across my eyelids and a weight wrapped around me. A surprisingly soft yet heavy weight, _the Pluto is this?_ _I swear, if Percy is lying on top of me again. I'm going to kick him out of my bed._

Slowly I open my eyes and find light trickling through something. _Has he draped something over me?_ I slowly blink the sleep from my eyes and paw at whatever is lying over my face. _It's so soft and fluffy, but also light and delicate. It feels more like… feathers?_

As my eyes begin to adjust to the small amount of light getting through. _Why are there feathers all over me? I bet this is some stupid prank by one of Mercury's kid._ I try and sit up, but the weight of whatever it is holds me down. With a little effort I roll onto my side and look over to Percy, but all the feathers obscure him. _What is all this?_

"Percy?" I ask tiredly. He groans in reply, his arm reaching out and searching for me. I reach out and take his hand; he holds on tight and pulls himself over. Shifting all the feathers on top of me, the soft canopy getting thicker. _That's odd, shouldn't they all fall away?_

"Percy, wake up. Someone's played a prank on us." I grumble, failing to sit up again. The weight now infinitely heavier.

"10 more minutes Rey. We don't even have any plans for the day." Percy replies sleepily, pulling me into a hug as he completely misses what I said. _No, we don't have time for this._

"Percy! Wake up!" I snap a little, jolting him awake.

"What? What's going on?" He jumps up, looking around before overbalancing and falling out of bed with a thump. Taking all of the feathers with him. _Why are they moving with him like this?_ Holding the duvet to my chest, I sit up and lean over the side of the bed and look down at Percy. _You have got to be kidding me!_

Sprawled out on the floor in all his glory is Percy Jackson, but the shocking thing is the fact that a pair of beautiful black wings now extend from his back. _Where in Juno's name did they come from!_

"Why would you do that?" Percy moans, trying to sit up. But he soon realises that he now has an extra weight attached to his back.

"Um, why am I so heavy?" He asks, looking very confused as he looks around. _How can he not see the wings?_

"You would appear to have wings babe." I tell him, not really believing it myself as I watch his eyes bulge out of his face. _Yep, saw that coming._

"I-I-I have w-wings?" He stutters, looking to the side and tentatively feels the feathers. He turns back to me with a question in his eyes, but I just shrug at him and shake my head.

"How did this happen?" He asks, struggling to maintain a calm voice. _That is an excellent question._

"I have no idea." I reply thoughtfully. Its not like any of the Gods visited him while he was asleep. _Well, any that could give him wings. Actually, who could give him wings?_

Slowly Percy stands, careful not knock anything with his huge wings. I wrap the duvet around myself and step out of bed to examine his new appendages. "Does it hurt anywhere?" I ask, walking around behind him and looking at the joints on his back. _His tattoo has disappeared. Maybe that's what they're from, and if that's the case he can retract them._

"No. Until I fell on them, I didn't even know they were there." He replies, standing very still while I examine him. _Of course he didn't._

"Do you think you can retract them? It would be a bit annoying if they have to be on show all the time." I inquire, walking back around to his front. _Sleeping would be a nightmare._

"I don't know. Let me check." He replies, gaining a very focused expression as he closes his eyes. _I don't think I've ever seen him concentrate so hard._ After about 30 seconds of nothing, his wings suddenly shrink down on his back. Disappearing without even the whisper of a sound. _Thank the Gods._

From the reflection in the window I can see that his Reaper tattoo has returned. _So I was right, the wings come from the tattoo._

"Well, at least we've figured out what your new tattoo does." I say reassuringly, making him raise an eyebrow at me. _I really don't know what he expected me to say._

"We should get dressed and go and test them out." I suggest, already heading towards the bathroom.

"Um, sure. There's just one problem…" He trails off, scratching the back of his head nervously as he begins to pale.

"I am actually terrified of flying." He admits sheepishly, making me laugh involuntarily. _Really!_

"You can't be serious. You've faced down Titans and Giant, you faced Gaia without even flinching. How're you scared of flying?" I laugh, leaning against the wall to steady myself so that I don't fall over.

"I never know if Zeus is going to blow me out of the sky, and it feels so unnatural." He pouts, looking sorry for himself. _I guess that's a good point. But he is the one that can breathe underwater._

"Fine, we'll go clear it with Jupiter first. Then we'll test them out." I tell him, a little excited at the prospect. He reluctantly nods in agreement, so I head into the bathroom to get ready.

 _"_ _My dear Reyna. I have something most important to discuss with you."_ A calm voice suddenly invades my mind, putting me on full alert.

 _"_ _From what Percy's told me. You must be Chaos, it's a pleasure."_ I politely reply, trying to decide whether or not I should bow.

 _"_ _Yes yes, not wanting to be rude. But we don't have enough time for all these formalities."_ Chaos replies hurriedly, sounding like she is looking over her shoulder.

 _"_ _Ok then. What's up?"_ I reply, turning the shower on.

 _"_ _First, I want to assure you that I am not an enemy to you, or to Percy and that Erebus is working along. Second, Percy asked me to speak with you." Chaos_ continues, keeping level and calm but still sounding urgent. _Percy did? What is she worried about?_

 _"_ _And why would he do that?"_ I ask, stepping into the shower and relaxing in the warm water.

 _"_ _We came to an agreement."_ She replies mysteriously, her tone chilling me in the warm water. _What did he do?_

 _"_ _And I now have a proposition for you."_ Chaos offers. I take a minute to really think over what Chaos has just said. _An offer? Of what? And what is this agreement Percy has made? Can I turn down an offer from Chaos herself? Wouldn't that be really rude? Would she get angry and hurt me? Really there are just too many questions right now._

 _"_ _Let's hear it then."_

 ** _A/N: Here it is. I hope you enjoyed the chapter more than I hated writing it, because writers block is fun. Anyway, you guys know the drill. See you next time._**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **(Percy POV)**

The December day is sunny but frigid. I can feel the cold biting into my fingers and toes, but thanks to my powers from Hestia I can raise my body temperature and feel nice and warm. With a quick glance at Reyna I can tell from the cloud that appears every time she breathes and the way she's pulling her cloak around herself, that she is cold.

I extend my powers to envelop Reyna with heat, but her expression remains distracted and deep in thought. _What's on her mind?_

After leaving the house this morning, Reyna has been strangely quiet. She looked kind of sick when she came out of the bathroom, but she said that she was fine and half-heartedly glared at me. So, being the hero that I am, I dropped it in fear of getting hit. _Or worse._

We decided that before we go to Olympus to ask/beg Zeus for permission to fly, that we would go and see the Hunt. _I'm definitely going to get floored by Thalia, and maybe stabbed a little by Jenna. Can't wait._

Walking through the city we get some interesting looks from people in the street, and I'm more than a little confused. _It's like they've seen a ghost, and why is that guy glaring at me?_ _Did something happen while I was in a coma?_ I turn to Reyna to ask her about it and just catch the guy muttering, 'why isn't he in chains?' with such venom that it freezes me to my core. _What?_

I watch as Reyna's features darken, her eyes as dark as the pits of Tartarus. Slowly she turns towards to legionary, threat of death pouring from every pore. The legionary flinches at the glare and pales at the low growl that accompanies it. Softly I grab Reyna's arm to stop her from disembowelling the poor boy.

"It's ok." I whisper into her ear, gently trying to pull her away and towards the temples. Reluctantly she follows, her glare petrifying the boy.

 _"_ _You too, Little Lady."_ I quickly add, looking down at Midnight. Who just looks at me with innocent eyes as she trots after us.

 _"_ _I wasn't going to do anything to him."_ She grumbles, completely betraying her innocent look. _Sure you weren't._

"So, you guys going to explain why he said that?" I ask, throwing a quick glance over my shoulder. But the guy was long gone.

"Just the rumour mill going wild." Reyna sighs, looking tired and ill again. _What happened to her this morning? The only thing that happened was the whole wings thing, right?_

"Rumours? Like what?" I inquire, a little curious as to what people were coming up with. _And, you know, why that guy wanted me in chains._

"A lot of people thought you were dead." She admits, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. _Well that's not that bad._ As I'm about to tell her as much, she cuts me off.

"A few thought you had betrayed us." She adds. Obviously appalled that people would think that about me. _They thought I had betrayed them?_

"But, why would they think that?" Confusion pours over my words, as I feel a slight pain in my chest. Reyna takes a deep breath and turns to me, looking more than a little disappointed.

"When people saw the state of me when I returned without you, they thought that you had done it and then joined the enemy." She explains, grimacing at the mere thought of it. _They thought I hurt her? I could understand if I'd shown up, but after everything I've done. I just can't believe it._

"I just can't believe it. How many of them still doubt me?" I mutter quietly, more to myself than to her.

"I don't know. There may still be those who quietly support Benjamin and even Octavian's views about the Greeks, even you." She tells me quietly, looking at the ground for a second.

"But the important thing is that you are back now, and we can prove to all them that you are here to fight for them." She tries to reassure me, looking up at me with a small smile. _I won't lie, it's a little rough around the edges as far as reassuring me goes. But the point is clear._

"You're right." I smile back, as we continue to head for the Temple.

"Now, are you ready to watch me get beaten to death." I joke, earning a playful punch on the arm.

(Line Break)

The rest of the walk to Diana's temple is pretty pleasant. We talk about how the defences are being changed, laugh as we watch Midnight romp around ahead of us. But more importantly, we talk about Christmas that's in a week. _She perked up a little at the mention of Christmas._ Overall a pretty enjoyable time.

That all changes the moment we walk into view of the Hunt. It takes about half a second for an arrow to land between my feet, and I'm pretty proud to say that I didn't even flinch. _Probably because I haven't really processed it yet._

"Is that how you treat all your guests? Or just your favourites?" I grin sarcastically, looking up from the arrow to the girl that shot it. _Probably not the best approach Percy._

"We don't want any of your kind here." She hisses at me, before turning to Reyna. _She looks familiar._

"Consul, why have you brought this _boy_ here?" She asks with obvious distaste, but not as much as the rest of the Hunt. _Ah, got to love the Hunters of Artemis._

"So that he can see his cousin and friends. I do hope there won't be a problem." Reyna returns, the picture of calm and collected. The girl looks confused for a second before getting a little angry. _Does she not recognise me? I've been around the Hunters before, and she looks painfully familiar._

"Like they would want to see some _male_. Who are these girls?" She barks, drawing the attention of some of the nearby Hunters.

"Thalia, Jenna, Riley if she's around. Maybe a few others." I reply jovially, completely unfazed by her overt aggression. But the names cause her to pause, as disbelief soon takes hold.

"Y-you can't be serious." She returns, sounding a little frightened. _What's she scared of?_ Her heterochromia eyes grow a little wider and the colour starts to leave her face. _Is she scared of me? Wait, I know those eyes._

"A-are you P-Percy Jackson?" She stutters out, lowering her bow.

"Yea, that's me." I reply uncertainly, glancing at Reyna who just shrugs. The girl drops her bow altogether as tears spring up in the corners of her eyes. _Oh shit! Artemis is going to skin me alive if she sees this._

"Hey, it's ok. There's no need to cry." I try and sooth, taking a step closer to the crying girl. Then in a flash the girl is next to me, wrapping her thin arms around me as she cries into my chest.

"Thank you." She mutters, over and over. I freeze, arms held high as I try and make sense of what's happening. I look at Reyna again, but she looks just as confused as I feel.

 _"_ _Midnight, please tell me you know what's going on."_ I plead to the wolf, who is sat back, watching things unfurl.

 _"_ _I think her name is Gwen. Apparently she just turned up at the Hunter camp one day, saying she had been pointed their way by some guy with dark hair and green eyes."_ Midnight informs me as she scratches behind her ear. _No, it can't be._ I slowly pry the girl off of me and crouch down so that I can get a better look at her. She's got a slight build, short brown hair and soft round face. _She made it!_ I can't help but smile at the still crying girl, relief pumping through my veins. Wiping her tears away she smiles back.

"Didn't I tell you they would be a great family." I say, feeling a lump build in my throat.

"Yes!" She beams, her smile brightening the day even more. I pull Gwen back in for a second hug, feeling joy warm my soul.

"I sorry I couldn't bring you myself." I whisper, remembering the task that Hestia had sent me on. After a few more seconds, a cough from behind Gwen makes me look up. Thalia is standing a few meters away, looking a little concerned. _Which is fair._

"Gwen, what are yo-" She stops when I lean around Gwen with a smile.

"Miss me Pinecone Face?" I flash my lopsided grin as I watch her go through just about every emotion. But she settles on anger and stomps towards us. _Yea, this is gonna hurt._ I nudge Gwen to the side as I step up to face Thalia.

"Percy! You good for nothing, idiotic, reckless Fish Brain!" She roars, lighting arching of her arms. I steel myself for the pain and stand my ground. "So is that a no?" I chance. _I'm getting a beating. There's no if, I am. Might as well get in anything I can._

But Thalia does the one thing I don't expect. After a second the rage disappears, the lightning stops and the storm I didn't even notice brewing fades away as Thalia crushes me into a hug and lifts me up.

"I'm so glad you're awake." She cries, crushing my spine. "It's good to see you to Thals." I squeak with difficulty, as my air supply is slowly cut off. After a few more seconds, Thalia finally places me on the ground. A look of absolute glee plastered across her face.

"When did you wake up?" She asks, her tone the happiest I think I've ever heard it.

"Yesterday. But we didn't get back into New Rome till really late." I tell her. Her smile immediately turns to a frown and I spot her hand clench into a fist. _Oh no._

"Why didn't you come and see me anyway! I've been worried sick!" She rages, punching me in the chest with her electrified fist. Sending me staggering backwards and to the ground, where Reyna was standing only a second before. _I would have caught you._

Reyna raises an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with amusement before turning back to Thalia.

"Is Jenna about?" She asks as if nothing happened. _Nice to know she cares._

"Yea, she should be in the Temple I think." Thalia replies.

"But first. How do you two know each other?" She asks, turning her attention back to me as I climb back up to my feet. I glance at Gwen, the memory of what happened flashing up in my mind. _Gods, how long ago was that?_ I look at Reyna as I begin my explanation.

"You remember my first month in New Rome?" I ask her, earning a nod in response. "Hestia sent me on a few rescue missions before I was made Praetorian, and on one such mission I ran across, well, Gwen." I start.

 ** _(Flashback)_**

 _"_ _Why did Midnight have to stay with Reyna?" I mutter angrily, watching the large group of monsters prowl through the streets of Olympia._ _ **Yea, I thought it was funny to.**_ **_Why are there so many monster roaming here anyway? Just who is this Demigod?_**

 _I carry on watching from the room of a small building. There are your standard Hellhounds, Dracanae, Cyclops'. But there are also some monsters I've never seen before._ _A snake like creature with ram horns slithered around, a two headed hound that is twice the size of the largest Hellhound and what looks like Werewolves._

 _My hand lightly rests on Cyclone as I watch a Werewolf sniff the air in my direction._ _ **They couldn't have been cursed with a terrible sense of smell could they? No, they just had to be turned into lethal killing machines whose only weakness is silver.**_

 _I try and come up with a plan on how to approach the Demigod I have been sent to find, who just so happens to be in the building surrounded by the monsters._ _ **Fucking typical.**_

 _After half an hour of coming up with a route to the building that shouldn't get me seen, a scream echo's through the streets._ _I quickly search for the source from my vantage point, and can just make out a girl running from the snake with horns. But her scream has alerted a lot of the monsters to her presence._ _ **Crap.**_

 _I quickly descend the fire escape and run after the screaming person, who is really gunning it._ _ **Fuck me she's fast.**_

 _It takes me a few minutes to catch up to the girl and I find her backed into a dead end alley, squeezing herself between a dumpster and the back wall. The gap is too small for the horned snake or the Hellhounds to fit their heads in, and the Cyclops' that joined the chase haven't figured out that they can move the dumpster yet._ _ **Good thing they're stupid.**_

 _Keeping close to the ground I run up behind the nearest Cyclops, uncapping Riptide I slice through the back of its knee. Which brings it to the ground with a pained wail flailing blindly in my general direction._ _I dodge under the wild strike a drive Riptide through its neck, cutting its wail short as it crumbles to dust and before his dull companion realises what's really happened, I lunge at him and plunge Riptide through his ribs._ _ **Sweet, that's two down.**_ _ **Four to go.**_

 _Keeping my momentum, I run at the nearest Hellhound. I slide under a swipe from its paw and stab Riptide through the bottom of its head, covering myself in gold dust._ _ **Wonderful.**_

 _Quickly moving on, I ignite my right arm and punch into the head of the next Hellhound. The smell of burning flesh filling the air._ _ **It's a lot easier punching through things when your arm basically melts everything as you touch it.**_

 _Withdrawing my hand, I dodge out of the way of the last Hellhounds approaching maw. I then roll across its back, hooking Riptide across its throat and decapitating it in the process._ _ **One left.**_

 _I finally turn to the goat snake as it eyes me cautiously, its tongue flickering menacingly at me._ _ **What the Hades is this thing?**_ _I take a cautionary step back and rest my hand on Cyclone, but in my apparent hesitance the snake decides to strike._ _I duck out of the way of the strike and slash at its underside, but it quickly recoils its head to evade the strike._ _ **That's some annoying speed.**_

 _The snake coils the lower half of its body and slowly raises its head, hissing menacingly._ _ **I don't think I've ever dealt with a snake before. Have I?**_

 _I quickly draw Cyclone from my belt and start to circle the snake, trying to put myself between it and the hiding girl._ _ **Not that there is much space as the bloody snake doesn't move.**_

 _It hisses and then strikes at me again, snapping its huge fangs at my head. I dive towards the dumpster that the girl is hiding behind, shivering slightly as I feel the fangs miss me by a breath._ _ **Maybe a tad too close for comfort.**_

 _Rolling to my feet I throw a ball of fire towards the snake, but it quickly slithers out of the way and fortunately away from the girl._ _I take the moment of freedom to quickly get behind the dumpster with the girl, with the snake crashing into it behind me._ _ **It's a pretty decent hiding spot.**_

 _I am immediately met with a boot to the face, which is swiftly followed by a second aimed at my stomach._

 _"_ _Wait, wait, wait! I'm not here to hurt you." I quickly try and assure her, catching her boot. Thankfully she pauses her assault long enough for me to wipe the blood now running from my nose, and looking down I can see that I am covered in golden dust._ _ **I bet I look horrifying. Not my best first impression.**_

 _"_ _Who are you?" She growls cautiously, forcing her boot from my hand. I quickly lean out from behind the bin and throw another fireball at the snake to keep it at bay whilst I answer her question._

 _"_ _No one of particular importance. I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd offer a helping hand." I reply, turning back to her. In the half-light of the descending sun and the shade of the bin, I can't really make out what she looks like._ _But her piercing eyes cut right through the darkness, one a jade green and the other honey kind of brown._ _ **Who's her parent? I've never seen eyes like that.**_

 _"_ _Well that's a bit too vague buddy. So you'd better start getting specific or I'm going to kick you out of here." She threatens. But I can tell that she doesn't really mean it, she's just scared and trying to act tough._

 _"_ _Ok, but my name really isn't that important. I just need to know, can you see that snake?" I ask, pointing my thumb back over my shoulder. Her eyes widen a fraction as her lips become a stiff line. She looks like she wants to laugh and say,_ _ **what snake?**_ _But there is a fear in her eyes that gives her away._

 _"_ _No, I just like to hide behind foul smelling dumpsters in my free time. Of course I can see the huge, horned snake!" She snaps sarcastically and I can't help but laugh._ _ **I like this girl.**_

 _"_ _Well that's good." I say between laughs, watching her face turn from caution to borderline hysteria._

 _"_ _How is being able to see a creature like that a good thing? No one else can see them, I must be going fricking insane!" She rages, glaring daggers at me with her multicoloured eyes._ _ **I guess that's a reasonable thought process.**_

 _"_ _Because I can see them too." I grin, diving out from behind the bin and running towards the snake. Shocked by my sudden attack, the snakes next strike is slow and inaccurate. With ease I spin out of the way and drive Riptide and Cyclone into its side, making it scream in pain._ _ **Can snakes scream?**_

 _But the sound is so loud and so high that I'm sure dogs for miles will come running. I quickly duck under a strike from its tail and slash at its side again, this time with a blazing Riptide._ _I leave two long gashes along its side as it quickly retreats up the alleyway._ _ **Not so fast buddy.**_

 _I hold out my hands and will a 10ft wall of flame to appear behind the snake, effectively cutting off its escape. I then pull the water from the bottles in my bag and send a jet of water straight at its head._ _As it moves its head out of the way of the high pressure water, I quickly run to where it has moved to and without hesitation I quickly jump up and drive Cyclone through its left eye._

 _With a pained howl it slowly crumble to dust and it slowly drops me back to the ground. Sheathing Cyclone and capping Riptide I turn back to the dumpster where I can see the girl looking at me with her jaw on the ground._

 _I quickly move back over to her and pull her all the way out from behind the dumpster._

 _"_ _Ok, I really need you to trust me right now. I'm actually in the middle of trying to find someone else." I admit as we head for the exit to the alley and I peak around the corner to see if any more monsters are coming, and lo and behold, there's a group coming._ _ **Brilliant.**_

 ** _"_** ** _Hestia, I really need a favour right now. Which way is the Hunt?"_** _I pray urgently, turning back to the girl. Now that she is out from behind the dumpster, I can finally get a good look at her._ _She has a short bob of brown hair, fair skin and a sprinkling of freckles across her gaunt cheeks. Her somewhat ragged clothes hang off of her thin frame._ _ **How long has she been on the streets?**_

 ** _"_** ** _You're quite fortunate Percy. They are actually stopping over in the Capitol State Forest. It'll take a few hours to get there if you're walking though."_** _Hestia relays. I send her a quick mental thank you and pull my bag from my shoulders, quickly pulling a wad of cash from it._ _I throw another look around the corner to track the approaching monster and turn back to the girl. Who looks terrified beyond belief._ _ **Can't blame her.**_

 _"_ _Ok, I have a plan." I start quickly, regaining her attention._

 _"_ _What is it?" She asks quietly, the fear obvious in her eyes._

 _"_ _I can send you somewhere where you will be safe. They're a group of girls that are like us, and can see the monsters." I continue, beginning to worry about the encroaching monsters. But I wait until she nods for me to continue._

 _"_ _I can't go into detail right now, but when you find them, ask for Thalia or Artemis. They will probably ask you to join them, but make sure you ask about Camp Half-Blood before you decide. But regardless of where you go, you will have a new family and they will protect you." I explain quickly, throwing my bag back over my shoulder and resting my free hand on Cyclone._ _Apparently unable to speak, she just nods along and looks at me expectantly._

 _"_ _Ok, now take this and get a cab to the Capitol State Park. The group you're looking for are called the Hunters, they wear silver. In all honesty they're pretty hard to miss." I say, holding out the wad of cash. Her eyes bulge at the sight of the money, but she quickly regains her focus and safely stows it in her pocket._

 _"_ _Why're you doing this for me?" She asks, eyeing me cautiously._ _ **Still doesn't quite trust me.**_

 _"_ _People like us have to look out for each other, and everyone deserves to have a caring family." I finish with a smile, taking her by surprise. But her expression begins to soften and her eyes water slightly._ _ **How long has it been since someone was just nice to her.**_

 _"_ _T-thank you." Her voice wobbles._

 _"_ _Don't worry about it, I'm just sorry that I can't take you myself. Now get going, I've got a kid to find." I grin, uncapping Riptide as I pull Cyclone out. She hesitates for a second, but then she quickly leans in and kisses me on the cheek before running the opposite direction down the street._ _ **Well I wasn't expecting that.**_

 _I watch her run for a second before turning to face the monsters, that are now only about 10 meters away and being led by the huge two-headed hound. I spin Riptide and Cyclone around in my hands and ignite my right arm._

 _ **Now, lets dance.**_

 ** _(End Flashback)_**

As I end my relatively short story, Reyna and Thalia just stare at me with their mouth hanging open. _The kid I was looking for was only a son of Hermes, he shouldn't have attracted so many monsters._

"You fought Orthus and a Cerastes and lived?" Thalia gawps, I just shrug my shoulders and nod. Not really getting the importance. _I don't know those names._

"Orthus is Cerberus' brother you idiot, and Cerastes' are so rare that even we don't know how to hunt one properly. How did you even manage that?" She asks, the shock still evident. _Huh, I didn't even realise that they were such rare creatures._

"You know, I kind of just winged it." I shrug, making Reyna face palm.

"Of course you did." She mutters like the answer should have been obvious.

"Well in any case. Thank you for sending Gwen in our direction, from her general description I knew it was you. But she never told us how she got here." Thalia continues, looking at a now shy looking Gwen.

"I really didn't know where to start." Is all she says, taking a new found interest in her muddy boots.

"It was a bit hectic." I add, patting her on the head with a smile. _Did they find out who her Godly parent is yet?_

We start to make our way towards the Temple, with a few Hunters throwing glares my way. But more than a few of the younger girls wave excitedly when they see me, and I wave back. Much to the annoyance of some of the older Hunters.

"Has Gwen been claimed yet?" I whisper to Thalia, who shakes her head in response. _Well that's odd._ I fall back a few paces so that I'm walking next to Reyna.

"How old do you reckon Gwen is?" I ask quietly, making Reyna raise an eyebrow at me for a second before looking at the small girl.

"About 14. Why?" She returns.

"It's just, she should have been claimed by now. I made a deal with the Gods, I'll ask them about it when we go and see Zeus." I finish quietly, watching Reyna smile to herself. _What's that for?_ I just watch her for a second, lost in the beauty of her new look. _She looks good with short hair. I wonder why she cut it?_

As I'm about to ask her why she cut her hair, the doors to the Temple fly open and make me jump a little, earning a small snigger from Reyna. Standing in the doorway are two of the girls I couldn't wait to see. Jenna and Riley, accompanied by large red headed girl who looks pretty pissed. _I can already see where this is going to go._

"Why is there a _male_ here!" The red head demands, glaring at the four of us. _Called it._ Following my better judgement for once, I keep my mouth shut and wait for one of the girls to answer the question.

"He's just come visit some friends Roxy." Thalia replies, sounding more bored than annoyed at the girl. This just seems to fuel the large girls rage as she rushes over to us, a murderous look on her face.

"Pfft, like he has any friends here. Who even is this _boy?_ " The venom dripping from her words is almost visible as she spit the question. I throw a quick glance around and am intrigued to find that everyone looks like they couldn't really care less about what this Roxy girl is saying. _Has she been acting out for a while or something?_

"This is Percy Jackson, my cousin and friends with more than a few of the Hunters." Thalia casually returns, a mocking grin spread across her lips. This seems to make Roxy falter for a second, as she looks me up and down with a glare.

"He doesn't look like much." She mutters, taking a few steps closer to me.

"I heard you were in a coma, too weak to defend yourself or something? Because it sure looked like you were too weak to defend Reyna here." She says, aiming for a superior tone. But it just comes out a bit petty. But it doesn't sting any less when she says it. _What's this girl's problem?_

"But that can only be expected from some useless _male_. You know, I was more inclined to believe that you're the one that did it to her." She finishes with a whisper, a malicious grin starting to form. I can feel my anger growing towards this girl, and I can feel the heat in my shoulder beginning to rise. However, Jenna comes to the rescue.

"I'd be careful if I were you Roxy. I don't think even Artemis would be able to stop him in time if you drive him over the edge." Jenna warns, walking past the girl and wrapping me in a hug. Which immediately calms me down. Taking Jenna's lead, Riley quickly follows the older girl's lead and quickly jumps up, basically tackling me from the side. _I highly doubt I'd be able to go toe to toe with Artemis._

"Like Artemis would let that happen." Roxy huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. But there is a little fear in her tone. _She's not sure whether to believe it or not._

 _"_ _Care to fill me in on who this angry girl is?"_ I ask Midnight, as the girls continue their back and forth.

 _"_ _Roxy is a daughter of Ares. One of the older Hunters at 750 years of service, but she seems to have a hate for men that really surpasses that of even Artemis. She also seems to have no real attachment to her sisters in the hunt."_ Midnight tells me, looking up from where she's sitting at my feet. _How can she have no attachment to her sisters?_

"I missed you Percy. I have so much to show you." Riley whispers excitedly, basically vibrating on my arm.

"You can show me in a little bit." I whisper back to the young girl, making her smile grow even more.

"Your auras so warm." Jenna mumbles into my chest, which makes me laugh a little. Which unfortunately earns the ire of the raging Roxy.

"What's so funny?" She demands, her eyes almost representing Ares.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with you. Carry on." I reply, indicating for her to continue. But the final nail is driven home when Thalia sniggers and the girl just storms off to Gods knows where. _Thank the Gods that's over._

"Come on, we can go to my tent to talk." Thalia offers, leading us towards the row of tents set up beside the temple.

"I have to ask. Just what was up with that girl?" Reyna asks while we walk. Thalia half turns around to talk, a sad look on her face. "I think she's just getting fed up of staying here. Then mix that in with the girls we lost and I think it's finally getting to her a bit." Thalia speculates, about to pull the flap open on her tent. But there is a look of uncertainty in her eyes as she turns away.

But before Thalia can open it, a sleepy looking Sophia emerges. _Well, I wasn't expecting that this morning._ I raise an eyebrow at Thalia, a silent question hanging in the air as Sophia looks at us all with drowsy eyes. Thalia shoots me a warning glare when she sees my smile, before turning back to Sophia, who is slowly focusing in on us.

"Thalia? What's goi-… Is that Percy?" She asks suddenly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes so she can get a better look at me.

"The one and only." I grin in return. A small smile appears on her lips as she looks at me properly for the first time.

"I'm glad you're awake." She genuinely smiles.

"I'll leave you to your business." She adds, stretching a bit as she walks away. _I need answers. Like, yesterday._ The six of us hurry into Thalia's tent and take a seat in her sitting area. _Damn these things are big._

I can just about hear Riley marvel at the size under her breath, a little bit of jealousy lacing her words. But it seems Jenna heard her just fine and she quickly hushes the small girl. _They make a good pair._

Pulling the flap closed behind her, Thalia quickly comes over to us and crashes on to a chair next to Jenna.

"So, how're you doing?" Jenna asks, turning her attention to me. Quickly followed by the rest of the group.

"I'm doing alright. I actually feel great, no aches or pains." I reply enthusiastically, smiling at everyone. When I look at Reyna there is a question in her eyes, and I sure as hell know what it is. I stare it out with her for a second, but it's no good. _I can't say no to her._ So with a heavy sigh I turn back to the others with a grim smile, while Reyna looks triumphant.

"Well there is one thing." I mutter under my breath, hoping no one is listening. At this everyone sits a little further forward and Midnights ears perk up.

"I… um… I have wings." I tell them, sounding a little uncertain. Silence follows for a second, before Thalia starts laughing and almost rolls out of her chair.

"Good one. But what's really up?" She asks, looking from me to Reyna and back again.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Jenna asks, her blank eyes almost analysing me.

"Unfortunately." I mumble, looking at the ground. I feel Reyna rest a hand on my shoulder and I flash her a thankful smile at her support before looking at the others again. Riley and Gwen are staring hard at me, almost as if they think my wings are invisible and that if they try hard enough they'll just pop into existence. While Thalia looks like she is still trying to decide if this is a joke or not.

 _"_ _When were you going to tell me about this?"_ Midnight asks a little dejectedly. I look down at her and stroke her between the ears.

 _"_ _Sorry, it was kind of massive shock. I still haven't really processed it yet."_ I reply, looking into her silver eyes. She blinks at me once before leaning into my hand.

 _"_ _It's fine I guess. Just don't leave me out ever again."_ She says, a small threat evident.

"Can I see them?" Thalia finally asks, everyone else nods along expectantly. _This could be embarrassing._ I glance at Reyna, who nods slightly at me. Urging me to open up to my friends about this.

"Sure, just let me prepare a little." I say, standing up and walking away a few paces. _Don't want to hit one of them with wing._ I turn around and face them and take a few breaths to calm my pounding heart. I close my eyes and envision the wings appearing on my back.

After a second of thought, I feel a slight shift on my back. Almost as if I were stretching. From the new weight on my back and the gasps from around the room, I guess that the wings have appeared. Slowly I open my eyes to the wide-eyed expression of everyone bar Reyna and Jenna. I turn to have a look at the wings my self and I do have to admit. _They are some beautiful black wings. Just who the fuck gave them to me?_

"They're so pretty." Riley says, reaching out to touch the feathers. I don't move, as I'm not entirely sure how to use them and I don't want to whack her in the face with them.

"You can't actually be serious." Thalia says, rubbing her eyes to make sure that she isn't seeing things. Gwen just sits there in silent awe, whilst Jenna and Reyna remain mostly passive.

"Dad's gonna be so pissed." Thalia thinks aloud.

"Yea, thanks for reminding me." I groan, retracting the large wings. Much to Riley's apparent dismay, as she whines quietly as they disappear.

"How did this happen?" Thalia asks, still looking like she's struggling to believe what just happened.

"I really don't know, I just woke up with them." I reply, looking over to Reyna.

"Don't look at me. If you don't know, there's no way I'll know." She replies, but an idea seems to spark behind her eyes.

"In any case, before I try and fly I want to go and get permission from Zeus. I really don't want to be shot down with lightning bolt." I tell them, Reyna nodding along thoughtfully. This earns a small laugh from Jenna, presumably at the prospect of me getting blown into tiny little pieces.

"So Gwen, had any indications towards who your Godly parent is?" I ask, retaking my seat and trying to swiftly change the subject.

"Not that I know of. I'm faster and stronger than most of the other Hunters, but that's about it really." She quietly tells us, fiddling with the hem of her shirt shyly.

"She's also a great fighter." Riley chimes in happily, turning to me excitedly. _How is she always happy? Isn't she one of Hades kids? She should be more broody and dark, like Nico. Right? Or maybe Nico would have remained like this if Bianca lived._

"Is she now?" I ask, watching Gwen's head dip as her face goes a bright red.

"Yea! When we were being attacked by that shadow monster, she's the only one that fought it and survived." Riley continues, turning back to Gwen. I look at Thalia and Jenna who both nod in confirmation. _Didn't the Shade kill like 30 experienced Hunters with ease?_

"Well it sounds like you're the perfect enigma Gwen." I joke, leaning back and looking at the ceiling. Which I've only just realised, is a perfect replica of the night sky. _That's pretty cool._

(Line Break)

We spend the rest of the morning chatting in Thalia's tent. Generally just catching up, and making sure that everything is ok with the Hunt. _That Roxy girl seems to be the only problem, and the fact that Artemis hasn't shown face in a while._ We also spend some time getting to know Gwen. Now that the story of how she got to the Hunt has been revealed, she opened up more about her past. She ran away from home when she was eight because her house was attacked by monsters and her foster parents were murdered by a pack of Hellhounds'. _She only learned she was adopted minutes before they were killed._

She spent the next six years living on the streets, moving between cities every few months to avoid the monsters that stalked her relentlessly. _That must have been absolute Hell. No training and no idea what's following you, especially when you think you're the only one that can see them._

We also talked about how the only feasible way of fighting the Shades at the moment is being faster than them. Which apparently is nearly impossible. _We need a better solution than that._

We even managed to find sometime for Riley to show me her new skills. Her ability with a bow is good, but her ability with hunting knives is something else. She hasn't started to try and learn how to use her Hades powers yet, but Thalia assures me that she is going to ask Nico and Hazel for help with that. _It's a good idea._

But the main thing that has been bothering me is how quiet Reyna has been. Sure she's not the chattiest girl in the world, but among this crowd she usually talks a lot more. _What's bothering her?_

But as midday comes around, we unfortunately have to bid goodbye to everyone as we have to make our way to New York to see the big Z. _I wonder if he'd like the nickname?_

"So how're we going to get there? It'll take too long to get there by car or train, and I'm guessing that taking a plane isn't an option." Reyna thinks aloud as we head towards Dakota's house to tell him that we're headed to Olympus.

"Not gonna lie Reyna. It was kind of a 50/50 chance when we flew the chariot to Montauk, and I don't want to keep asking Hestia for a lift." I admit. Reyna doesn't respond for a second, but the annoyance is visible in her eyes. _Yea, I would be annoyed as well._

Even once we've packed and are on our way to the Caldecott Tunnel, we still don't really have a plan of how we're going to get there. Then it hits me like a bloody wrecking ball. _The Grey Sisters! I wonder if they'll come this far?_

"Reyna, I have an idea." I say, jogging towards the tunnel while she looks at me sceptically. I quickly run through the tunnel and up to the road, pulling a stray Drachma from my pocket.

I throw it at the road and call out, 'Stêthi, Ô hárma diabolês!' Relief floods through me when the Drachma sinks into the road. _At least I remembered the words._

Reyna catches up and finds me looking expectantly down the road.

"What're you looking for?" She asks, squinting down the road.

"I'm waiting for a cab." I grin, not taking my eyes off the road. After a couple of minutes, a cab that looks like it is being held together by smoke screeches to a halt in front of us. _Thank the Gods._

"What is this?" Reyna asks, taking a cautious step back.

"It's a cab. Trust me, this is the quickest way to get there." I assure her, pulling the door open and revealing the three sisters.

"Oh, it's the Jackson boy again. You'd better not take my eye again." Wasp snaps, making the other two lean away from me.

"That's not the intention, I promise. We just need a ride to the Empire State Building." I tell them climbing in, quickly followed by Reyna and Midnight.

"We don't want that animal in here." Tempest screeches, apparently the one with the eye. Midnight growls at the decrepit old woman, making the trio flinch slightly.

"Don't worry, I'll pay extra. Just get us there." I groan, throwing another Drachma into the front of the cab, where Anger somehow catches it. _That's a neat trick. Bet it only works with money._

"Hey, give me the tooth. I want to check the Drachma." Anger says, reaching over to Wasp.

"No! You did it last time. It's my turn." Wasp growls, slapping Anger's hand away while she plants the gas pedal against the ground. Slamming the unprepared Reyna into her seat. _I probably should have warned her._

"Um, why doesn't the driver have any eyes?" Reyna asks, panic seeping into her words.

"The three of them only have one eye and tooth, they kind of share them." I tell her, watching her pale considerably.

 _"_ _I hate cars!"_ Midnight wails, struggling to gain any purchase in the shaking cab.

 _"_ _We'll be there soon. Just hold on."_ I return, resting a hand on her head to try and calm her.

"Hey, give me the eye! I can't see the road." Wasp cries, just barely missing a streetlight. _Yea, maybe this wasn't the best idea in the world._

(Line Break)

It takes about an hour to get to New York. _Well that was pretty speedy._ I throw a quick thank you at the arguing sisters as we crawl out of the cab.

I glance at Reyna who is sitting on the ground with her head between her knees, looking a little bit green. While Midnight shakily walks over to me.

 _"_ _Never again."_ She states weakly. _Haha, she's going to love the trip home._

"Let's go then." Reyna says, slowly getting to her feet and heading towards the door. _She never stays down for long does she._

I follow behind Reyna for a few paces, until she stops abruptly and turns to me, looking more than a little annoyed and embarrassed. _She doesn't know the way in._

I grin as her frustration begins to build. _Roman's really don't like asking for help._

"I'll show you the way in." I offer as she starts to look a little terrifying. Grudgingly she nods and lets me take the lead, as I walk up to the receptionist.

"Key to the 600th floor please." I ask, holding my hand out to the bored looking man.

"Sorry kid, there ain't no 600th floor." The receptionist replies, not even looking up from his computer. I'm about to make a remark when Midnight growls at him. He does a quick double take of the large wolf and practically throws the key at me. _Well that was easier than usual._

 _"_ _You're welcome."_ Midnight states, sounding smug.

 _"_ _I had it covered."_ I try and assure her, but she just snorts and trots towards the lift. I grab Reyna's hand and guide her towards the lift as she looks around the lobby of the Empire State Building.

We reach Olympus, only just managing not to rip our ears off at Apollo's awful rendition of 'Escape'. _The answer is no, I don't like Piña Coladas._

As we make our way through the streets of Olympus, people look at us with wide eyes and speak in hushed whispers.

"Is that them?"

"That's the Champion."

"Do you think that's his girlfriend? Or just a friend?" Was asked, more than a little hopefully for my liking.

After that question I grab Reyna's hand and walk a little faster towards the throne room. _I really don't need her hearing those kind of questions._

We make it to the throne room to find Artemis, Apollo, Zeus, Athena and Dad in a quiet conversation. _That's an odd selection._

Reyna looks torn between what to do, but I spot Hestia in her usually spot by the hearth and lead Reyna over to her with Midnight in tow.

"Percy, Reyna, what a pleasant surprise. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Hestia asks, smiling brightly as she looks up at us.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise." I lie. _I guess I could have told her we were stopping by._ I glance back over to the whispering Gods as we take seats next to Hestia.

"There have been some worrying developments in the Underworld of late. Hades has just returned there, and they're still discussing it. You should probably ask Nico about it." Hestia tells us quietly. _Something's wrong in the Underworld? That doesn't sound good._

"Anyway, what brings the three of you here?" She asks, quickly changing the subject as she strokes Midnight. I hesitate for a second, but that is long enough for Hestia to notice and for concern to cross her face.

"You know that new tattoo of mine." I start, watching the concern deepen on her face.

"Yea, it turns out that they give me… well… wings." I finish uncertainly. _I still can't believe I have wings._

Hestia doesn't react immediately. She kind of just looks at me like I'm an idiot. _She doesn't believe me._

"Wings?" She asks skeptically, glancing at Reyna. But when neither of us move to change my statement, shock begins to set in.

"Wings!" She states loudly, shooting to her feet and calling the attention of the whispering Olympians. _Brilliant._

"Sister, what's the matter?" Poseidon calls out, apparently unable to see Reyna and myself.

"Better yet, who's with you?" Artemis adds, resting a cautious hand on one of her hunting knives.

"You should probably all hear this." She returns, waving all of them over to the hearth.

"Is that you Percy?" Poseidon asks, as they get closer.

"Hi Dad." I reply with an awkward wave.

"What's going on son? Why are you here?" Concern filling his question.

"Well, I actually came here today to talk with Zeus." I say, surprising everyone. But I do manage to just about hear Zeus mutter 'Lord' under his breath, which makes me grin.

"What is it you would like to discuss Nephew?" Zeus asks, sounding very calm and collected. _It's a little unnerving how much he's chilled out._

"I came to ask for your permission to fly." I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel.

"Like on a plane?" Poseidon asks, scratching his head.

"Even Zeus wouldn't down a whole plane if you were on it." He adds, turning to his brother.

"You mean on a more frequent basis, don't you?" Athena asks, analyzing me with those familiar grey eyes.

"Right you are Athena. I have been given a gift, that means I can fly whenever I want." I continue, trying to avoid telling them for as long as possible.

"Like a magic carpet from Aladdin?" Apollo asks, earning a smack on the head from Artemis.

"Don't be stupid." She hisses.

"More like wings." I quickly say, hoping they all missed it. And for the most part it looks like they all did, except for Artemis. Whose eyes double in size as she takes a step back.

"You can't be serious." She stutters out, earning a confused look from everyone.

"Just show us what it is son." Poseidon says, watching Artemis' reaction with a little worry. With a sigh, I get to my feet and walk a few meters away from the others.

"What're yo-" I cut off Athena's question by extending my wings. Everyone's jaw hits the ground in unison, as they stare at the black wings.

"Well that's new." Poseidon tries to joke, but his disbelief kind of ruins it. Zeus looks pretty torn up inside. _He's going to blast me._

"Who gave them to you?" Is Zeus' first question as sparks start to flash around his hands. _I knew it._

"I really don't know, I got this tattoo after I woke up in Apollo's palace." I tell him. He snaps his attention to Apollo with fury in his eyes, who raises his hands in defense.

"It wasn't any of us. I would have noticed if someone did it in my temple." He defends himself, and inadvertently every other God that visited me. Zeus stays silent for a long while, while he thinks about what to do. I was expecting death threats, even a cursory flash of his master bolt. But we got nothing. _Kind of disappointing really._

"While usually it would sicken me to have one of my brothers children in the skies. It would seem someone has gifted them to you for a reason, so I shall allow it. But only this once." He states a little angrily, turning to Poseidon, who has a smug grin on his face. _Not helping Dad._

"Thank you Lord Zeus." I bow, feeding his ego a little. With a lightning strike he disappears from the room, and is quickly followed by Athena. Leaving only Hestia, Artemis, Apollo and Dad.

"Well, that went well." Breathing a sigh of relief Reyna once again sits down next to the hearth with Hestia. While Midnight jumps up into Artemis' arms, squealing with joy in my head.

Seizing the opportunity to talk with my dad I turn to him.

"Hey Dad, can I have a minute? I have a little side project to run by you." I ask mysteriously. He raises an eyebrow at me, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Sure, but let Apollo give you a quick once over. We don't know what effect those wings are having on your body." Poseidon returns, pushing Apollo towards me.

"Don't worry Perce, this shouldn't take long." He assures me, pulling a clipboard out of thin air.

After about 10 minutes of extending and retracting my wings, Apollo assures us all that they will have no negative side effects. _I don't know what to do with all these positive outcomes, I'm not used to it._

Sliding my shirt back on I turn back to Poseidon, who is talking to someone through an Iris message. But the moment he sees that I'm done, he swipes his hand through the message and walks over.

 _"_ _Can you ask Artemis about Gwen's heritage please?"_ I ask Midnight, who hums a response.

"So what is this side project you mentioned?" Poseidon asks, drawing the attention of everyone else.

"I'm actually interested in this as well. What could you possibly be planning?" Reyna inquires from her spot next to the hearth.

"A pretty awesome surprise, if everything works out. So you're just going to have to wait and see." I grin, winking at her as Poseidon and I walk a few meters away. Leaving everyone else to look at each other at little confused.

"So here's my idea…"

 **(Poseidon POV)**

To say that I'm surprised by Percy's idea and request would be a massive understatement. He's thought this through well, and laid out all the details coherently. _When did he become so… serious._

To do what Percy wants won't be a major hardship on my side, it'll be getting Hephaestus and surprisingly Aphrodite to help that may be the difficult part. _I'm sure that Leo boy will help convince his father if need be, and Piper will be able to help with Aphrodite._

But if this all works out, New Rome will have an invaluable asset to assist in the war. I grin to myself as I reappear in my throne room, already planning how to create Percy's request.

 _If nothing else, it'll be an interesting project._

 **(Reyna POV)**

After Apollo finished checking on Percy, he quickly flashed away, a small joke aimed at Diana dying on the wind. _How she hasn't killed him yet is beyond me._

I glance at Diana as she plays happily with Midnight, all her worries seemingly forgotten in this moment. But as much as I try, I can't pull myself out of the somewhat dark mood that my talk with Chaos put me in.

"What's on your mind Reyna?" Vesta asks without taking her eyes off of the hearth, as she moves some logs around with a poker. Immediately I lock down on my expression and emotions, because if one person can see that something is up. It won't be long before other do.

"It's no use trying to hide it from me child, you fiddle with your braid when you're nervous. Regardless of how much shorter it is now." Hestia smiles warmly, turning her attention to me. _Bloody Gods being so damn perceptive._

I sigh quietly, and rub my face with my hands. Mainly trying to give myself a second to think about how I should word my situation.

"If you were offered a gift from someone you didn't know, but they had been asked to offer it by a friend. What would you do?" I ask, watching as Hestia's eyes narrow for a fraction of a second.

"Well I guess that really depends on the value of the gift. But if you trust your friend, then I don't see any reason not to accept it. But remember, gifts can always be negotiated and in the end it's how you use them that matters." She finishes cryptically, but her tone remains level and light. _Negotiating Chaos' offer might be a better idea, but what should I negotiate it to?_

Chaos's offer is a once in a lifetime kind of deal, and while I'm sure that most Demigods would jump at the offer. I find myself taking a step back, and I can't figure out if it's because of fear. Or something else entirely.

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." I reply thoughtfully. _What's the right choice?_

"I believe it is time I take my leave." Diana pipes up suddenly, breaking my train of thought.

"You might want to stop by the Hunt. They miss you." I say absentmindedly, looking into the flames. It takes me a second to realize what I said. _Oh shit._

"I-I-I mean-" Artemis cuts me off with a hand, but she doesn't look as angry as I thought she would. She just looks weary and sad.

"I know." She whispers, disappearing in a silvery flash. _I majorly over stepped my bounds._

Midnight comes over and lays down next to me, a content look in her eyes. I bury my face in her fur as the offer Chaos rattles around in my head. _Power beyond my wildest dreams,_ she said. _Stronger than even the Gods themselves,_ she offered.

Her words were enticing, but her tone was slightly sinister with her quick words. But there was one draw back to the offer, and that is everything I would have to give up. To accept her current offer, I would have to give up New Rome and more importantly, Percy. _Like that's going to happen._

She said I had a couple of days to think about it, which relieves some of the pressure a little. _I'll come up with a decent counter offer, and we'll all be fine. I won't have to leave him._

I glance back at Percy, and the light in his eyes as he smiles at Neptune and gestures wildly with his hands fills me heart with love as I smile to myself. _Leaving him would be impossible._

By the time he finished talking with Neptune, it was already early afternoon and I really don't want to get in that cab again.

Percy strolls over to us, a secretive smile on his face as he looks deep in thought. _Not really the usual expression that adorns his face._

"Time to go?" He asks as if we haven't been wait for him all this time. I throw him a quick glare as I push up onto my feet, making his smile waver for a second.

"Yes we do have to get in that cab again."

"Stop fussing, it'll be fine." Percy says, looking down at a grumpy looking Midnight. _I feel you girl._

"I could send you home if you want." Hestia chimes in.

"Oh no, we-"

"If you wouldn't mind, that would be great." I cut off Percy quickly, making Hestia giggle a little while Percy looks a little annoyed.

"It's no problem at all." She smiles, snapping her fingers. In an instant we're back in my living room, and I slide onto the sofa with a content sigh. Percy is mumbling something about taking advantage of Hestia while he pulls off his coat and boots, but I don't really care right now.

"Hey Percy, come here a sec." I say, closing my eyes for a second. I hear him walk over, and as I open my eyes he is leaning over me questioningly.

"Wha-" I cut off, what was no doubt about to lead to a mini rant about something by pulling him into a kiss. Which he melts into immediately. His body leans in closer to mine and I can already feel the heat coming off of him. _Always like a bloody furnace, aren't you?_

There's a sudden flurry of movement and all of Percy's weight drops on me, as he yelps in surprise. I look left and right and just start laughing. Percy's wings have extended, obviously taking him by surprise.

"Do you have zero control over your body or something?" I laugh, pushing the blushing boy off of me.

"Not around you." He admits shyly, retracting his wings.

"So, when we going to test those out?" I ask, the moment being hilariously ruined. He retracts his wings and gets into a more comfortable position on the sofa as he thinks of an answer.

"Probably tomorrow or something. Today has felt so strenuous, I don't think I really have the energy to try." He replies, sounding tired. _I guess that's a fair point._

"Let's just relax for a bit then." I say, curling up next to him on and closing my eyes,

 _Stronger than even the Gods themselves._ It is a very appealing offer.

 **(Nico POV)**

I've been keeping a very low profile at Camp, as I try and find the assassin and seeing as I have perfected intangibility, I can move around like a ghost and keep out of sight. _I should scare Percy with this one day._

But for all the searching and watching of the campers, I can't find the would be assassin. _Did they leave camp?_

I glide back towards the Hades cabin and float through the dark walls, swiftly reforming and crashing down onto my bed. _It's still tiring to maintain that form for while._

I lie face down on my bed for a second before moving to take my sword off my back. But the moment my hand rests on the hilt, bloodlust fills my cabin. In a heartbeat I'm on my feet, sword drawn and my back to the wall. _How the hell did they even get in here? The doors enchanted._

"Those are some mighty fine reflex's you've got there kiddo." A southern drawl echoes from a dark corner as a small girl steps into the dim light, the blade in her hand catching the light.

"Thanks, now get the fuck out!" I return with a dark voice, keeping my sword raised. The girl has the nerve to tut at me as she walks over to me seductively, fluttering her big blue eyes at me. _Oh Gods._

"Don't you think it's a little dangerous to be pointing something like that at little old me?" She asks with a honeyed voice, barely two feet from me. The tip of my blade drops slightly and a smile flashes across her face.

"I'm sure we can come to a much better arrangement than this." Nodding suggestively towards the bed, she sheathes her dagger. _Is she trying to charm speak me?_

My blade drops another few centimeters, and her eyes sparkle with dangerous delight. She takes a slight step closer, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

"Come on, why don't you join me." There's more power behind her voice this time, but I decide to play a long for now. Even if it has little effect on me.

I let her pull me over to the bed and push me onto it, almost losing my sword on the way down. Without missing a beat she straddles my waist and smiles down at me. _She doesn't weigh anything, she's like a bloody Chihuahua._

I blink and her entire body language changes. Her eyes darken, her skin pales drastically and she pulls her dagger out again.

"Boys are always too easy." She mutters, raising her dagger high. As she plunges the dagger towards my chest, I make the point of contact intangible. A gap just big enough for the blade to pass through, and I gasp for dramatic effect before going limp.

"Some Lieutenant of Hades. I thought this would be more difficult. I can't believe Alan called me in for this, the useless swine." She complains, still sitting on top of me. _Alan? Isn't the like three Alan's here at the moment? It's a start I guess._

As she reaches down to pull her dagger from my chest I grab her wrist, startling her.

"But how? You should have been completely infatuated with me." She gasps, trying to pull her hand free. I slowly sit up and place my sword to her neck.

"Sorry love. You're just not my type." I grin, pressing the point of my sword against her throat.

"Now, I don't suppose you want to tell me who Alan is do you?" I ask, already anticipating the answer.

"I'd rather die." She spit, reaching for another dagger that's attached to her waist. I press the tip of my sword harder against her throat, and watch as blood begins to leak from the small cut.

"Are you sure about that?" I threaten, glaring at her frantic eyes as she looks around the room. _There's nothing to save you in here._

Her eyes rest on mine again, a determination trying to intimidate me. But I just look back with a bored expression, already knowing what her answer is going to be.

"Yes!" She whispers defiantly, her hand flashing towards her second dagger. But before she can even reach it, I slide my sword through her neck. She stares at me with wide eyes, looking at me with disbelief. _She didn't think I'd follow through._ Blood pours from the wound, and erupts from her mouth as she coughs and splutters, trying to breathe.

"Do you want to know a perk about being Hades Lieutenant?" I ask, watching the light in her eyes begin to dim as I lean closer to her.

"I can send people straight to Tartarus." Even with the dying light in her eyes, I can see the fear burning and the silent begging that follows.

"So why don't you tell me who your little accomplice is, and I'll make sure you end up in the field of Ashpodel." I offer her, tethering her spirit to her body for a few seconds longer. _It's an incredible painful experience I'm told._

"Lee." She struggles, her eyes looking a little hopeful.

"Thank you." I quickly pull my sword from her neck and push her off of me. As she hits the floor with a loud thump, I stand next to her and mutter a quick prayer. _Got to keep my promises._

When I finish my prayer I wipe my sword clean with a part of her top, sheath it and walk out of my cabin to find Chiron. _Should probably explain why there's a dead body in my cabin._

I get some weird looks as I walk around camp, with a lot of people visibly flinching away form me. But I'm not concerned with them; I've spotted Chiron walking towards the archery range and I jog to catch up. I don't even notice that Will is next to me until he grabs my shoulder.

"Nico! What the hell happened to you?" He demands, stopping me in my tracks.

"What? Nothing. I have to talk with Chiron." I reply, trying to pull free from his grip. _He is surprisingly strong._

"How can you be fine? You're covered in blood." He cries, holding me in place. _What?_ I look down at my shirt and realize that the girl's blood has covered me. _Well that explains a lot._

"Just come with me and I'll explain it when we get to Chiron." I sigh, seeing that he's not going to drop the subject any time soon. _Bloody worrywart._

He accepts my response and follows me as we jog after the old Centaur.

"Chiron." I say, grabbing his attention away from the book in his hands. He turns to me with smile, which quickly turns to horror.

"By the Gods boy, what's happened to you?" He asks, snapping his book shut as he begins to inspect me for wounds.

"I'm fine, the girl in my Cabin? Not so much." I grin darkly, watching Chiron pale a little.

"But, on the bright side. I know who the spy in the camp is." Sounding happier than I should, I lean in close and they follow suit.

"His name is Alan Lee. Now, I don't know who that is. But I'm guessing you do." I whisper, throwing a quick glance to our surroundings.

"Someone's trying to kill Chiron?" Will asks, obviously shocked.

"Are you sure?" Chiron presses, stopping me from answering will.

"Dead certain." I reply, catching Will rolling his eyes.

"Ok, you fill Will in and get rid of that girls body. We don't want any unnecessary questions being asked. I'll call Alan to my office in an hour, you two can hide in my office and when he arrives I'll tell him that I know he is a spy. If he becomes violent, you two can step in and subdue him." Chiron lays out the plan with a curt sort of professionalism I've never seen before.

"When you say subdue…" I trail off raising my eyebrows a little.

"Without killing him. He may have useful information that the Gods can extract." Chiron says, sounding a little exacerbated. I raise my hands with a small smile.

"I was just checking." Seeing Will shaking his head next to me, like he can't even believe that I though about killing another Demigod.

"I'll see you in my office in an hour." Chiron finishes, trotting off towards the Arena. I look at Will, who is looking at me expectantly with his arms crossed and his foot tapping. _Gods, he's like a parent._

(Line Break)

After filling Will in on the impending assassination and shadow travelling the body of the surprisingly young girl way out to sea, we make our way to the Big House.

"So what else has been happening that you haven't told any of us?" Will asks, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Um, Percy was in a coma for a bit. Did you guys know that?" I ask, maybe a little too casually as I watch Will's face morph into shock.

"What?" He almost screams in reply. _I guess not._

"Then there's some stuff happening in the Underworld, but you're not really aloud to know about that." I move on, without answering his question. Will stares at me in a stunned silence as we continue to walk.

"How's Percy doing?" He asks eventually, as we walk into the Big House.

"I heard he woke up like a day or so ago, and that he's already back in New Rome." I inform him with a small smile. _The guy's too lucky for his own good sometimes._ I see a smile of relief flash on Will's face before we enter Chiron's office.

"Good you're both here. Will you can hide in the closet, and Nico you can-"

"I've got it covered." I quickly say, stepping into the shadow of the chair Alan will be sitting in.

"I guess that works." Chiron mutters, squashing himself into his wheelchair. _That always looks so uncomfortable._

Less than a minute later there is a nock on Chiron's door. He calls the unsuspecting boy in and offers him the seat. I can't really see what Alan looks like from where I'm hiding. But he has a young sounding voice, and a bulky kind of frame. _Why are they so young? Wouldn't it be better to use older Demigods?_

"Is there something I can help you with Chiron?" Alan asks, sounding a little shy and nervous.

"Alan, I'm afraid I have come across some grave news." Chiron starts, sounding grave. I can feel the fear begin to roll off of Alan as he starts to tap his foot.

"R-really?" Alan stutters, as he starts to fidget in his chair.

"Yes, and I'm afraid it concerns you?" Chiron continues.

"Are you sure?" Alan asks, but his voice sounds different. The shy and nervous tone is gone. Now he sounds confidently bored, and powerful.

"I know you're here to kill me." Chiron states calmly, unfazed by Alan's change in demeanor.

"And you invited me here knowing that? That's not very smart of you." Alan laughs, and it's a horrible grating sound. It almost sounds like it's coming from a blender.

"Well, I never did say that I only invited you." I can feel the grin more than I can see it on Chiron's face, and I take that as my signal. Before Alan can realize what Chiron meant, I wrap skeleton hands around his wrists and ankles. Attaching him to the chair and step out of the shadow behind him, while Will steps from the closet.

"You set me up?" Alan says, sounding surprised and annoyingly calm as he looks at the pair of us.

"Why's Sunny D here? I get the Death Prince, but he seems a bit out of place in this set up." Alan continues, the image of calm and collected.

"That's not really of importance at the moment." I state walking around to be in front of him.

"I just want to know why you were sent here to kill Chiron."

"I'm sure you do." Alan laughs, rocking in his chair a little. _Testing the restraints. Smart boy._

"As I can't see myself leaving this room in one piece, I suppose I can tell you something's. But first, did Elise even try and kill you? Or did she just give me up?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"She needed a little encouragement, but nothing a little push couldn't do." I return with a dark smile. Alan's eyes widen a fraction, looking more impressed than anything else.

"I see, I suppose that makes sense." He almost looks as upset as his tone suggests, but there's this dark glint in his eyes that kind of throws off the whole image. I inspect the restrained boy as I wait for him to continue talking. His features are strong and angular, but accompanied by the obvious baby fat that shows his true age. I was right before, he has a strong looking build of a child of Ares, but the analytical eyes of a child of Athena.

"Trying to place me _Lieutenant?_ " He asks with a wry grin.

"I bet you can't." And as much as I don't want to give him the satisfaction of being right. I really cant, he has way to many contradicting trait.

"The truth is, I am a mixture of the Olympians. Ares' battle prowess, Athena's strategic mind, Hermes speed and even Hecate's witchcraft." He reels off the names with a sick sort of glee. _Someone created him for this. Someone extremely powerful._

"I'm not sure how my lord did it, but he formed my body as a vessel and then with their collected essences created me. He then sent me to this pitiful camp to kill the 'Trainer of Heroes', to cripple your defenses." Alan informs us with his annoyingly calm tone. Looking like he's in the middle of a business meeting, rather than tied to a chair.

"And who is this Lord you speak of?" Chiron asks, but I already have a slight inkling as to who it might be. _If every other recent attack is anything to go off._

"Why my dear Centaur, it is the Lord of Darkness himself." He grins manically, confirming my fear.

"Erebus." I mutter quietly, watching Will's blanch in the corner.

"Quite right, son of Apollo. You should be scared. So sure up your defenses, and train your little Demigods as much as you can. Because we are coming and neither you nor Rome can stop us." He laughs, sounding more fanatical as he finally drops his calm façade.

"With New Rome's help, we'll crush you and your Lord. Just like we did with Gaia." Will challenges, his voice determined as he squares his shoulder.

"I wouldn't be so sure of Rome's help." Alan grins, before bursting into shadowy flames. We all jump away from him as the flames consume him, a rasping laugh escaping his melting face.

"What do you mean?" Will accuses, taking a hesitant step forward. Alan snaps towards Will, his skull and jaw beginning to show.

"Rome is going to be in no position to help anybody. Not even themselves. By tomorrow, Camp Jupiter will be dust." He _grins?_ I can't even tell anymore. The acrid smell of burning hair and flesh fills the room, but there is no smoke and the flames aren't even burning the chair he's in.

He starts to laugh again, harsh but sloppy and wet sounding as his throat disintegrates. Then after a minute, he's noting but ash on the floor. It didn't even look like he was in pain. _Perks of being some kind of vessel I guess. But wasn't he a little too easy to capture?_

We all stand around in silence for a few seconds, as we take in what just occurred in front of us. I look out the window and watch as the sun begins to descend, darkening the sky.

"We need to warn Percy and Reyna." I state finally, snapping the other two back to reality.

"I'll try and Iris message Percy. Nico you go to Camp Jupiter just in case I can't get through." Chiron orders, opening a draw and pulling a Drachma out. I nod and head for the door, when Will grabs my arm.

"I'm coming with you?" He tells me, using a tone that leaves little room for discussion. I glance back at Chiron and he just nods, albeit a little reluctantly.

I sigh and take hold of Will's wrist and walk straight into the shadows, hearing a small yelp escape him.

 _The last time I saw the defenses at New Rome, they looked near impenetrable. How could he have been so sure? I have a bad feeling about this._

 **(Percy POV)**

I'm woken by the soft nudging of Midnight's head against my thigh. With a groggy mind, I softly pat her head. _When did I fall asleep?_

 _"_ _How's it going Little Lady?"_ I ask, looking down at Midnight. There's a concerned look in her eyes as she turns towards the windows.

 _"_ _Did Artemis tell you anything about Gwen?"_ I ask, following her gaze and see that the sky is quickly darkening. _How long was I asleep?_

 _"_ _She not one of the Olympians. That's all she knows."_ She informs me, royally stumping me of what to do next.

 _"_ _Something feels off."_ Midnight states after a long pause. I go to stand up, but find that Reyna's is using my lap as a pillow. I smile down at her, and brush a few stray strands of hair off of her face.

 _"_ _What do you mean by that?"_ I ask, still looking at Reyna's sleeping face. I lightly trace the scar over her eye and a pang of guilt pulls at my heart.

 _"_ _I don't know what it is. But it feels like there's a battle brewing, I can smell it in the air."_ Midnight returns, worry building in her words. Having never been wrong in the past, I trust what Midnight is saying. But before I can say anything, a watery image appears in front of me.

"Chiron?" I ask, as the image focus' on the old Centaur.

"Percy, we haven't much time." He begins urgently, blasting all of the fatigue from my mind.

"We have reason to believe that Ne- -me is go- to-" The messages audio cuts out, and I can't make out what Chiron is trying to say. _Can Iris messages have bad signal?_

Static continues to pour through the image, as Chiron begins to look more and more panicked. _This is why phones would be so much more convenient for us. But no, monsters had to go and ruin that._

With obvious frustration, Chiron quickly writes down a message and holds it up for me to read. As I read the four words on the piece of paper my blood freezes. 'An Attack Is Coming!'

I nod to show that I've got the message and quickly swipe my hand through the image. I gently shake Reyna's shoulder to wake her, and then shake a bit harder when she doesn't wake up.

With unfocused eyes, she looks up at me a small groan building in her throat. But the dire look in my eyes must have alerted her to a problem, as she immediately sit upright and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asks as I stand up.

"We're about to be attacked." Is all I need to say as we both head for the bedroom to get changed.

After getting quickly getting changed into my Praetorian outfit and summoning my armor, I turn to Reyna. She is wearing her usual golden armor and glittering cloak, we nod to each other and quickly make our way towards Dakota's house.

The moment we step into the street I can feel it. A low thrum through the earth, you could almost pass it off as a small earthquake. _Just how many of them are there?_

Our jog turns to a sprint and as we fly down the streets of New Rome, people look at us in confusion and worry. Before I can even knock on Dakota's door, bells start ringing. _The enemy has been spotted.  
_  
(Line Break)

After finally finding Dakota and Alice at Alice's house, the four of us make our way to the walls. _Midnight went to go and get Thalia._

The alarm came from the direction of the Caldecott tunnel, which doesn't strike me as the best place to attack from. We climb the tall stonewalls, rushing Legionaries snap to attention as we rush past and my heart almost stops when I see the monster pouring out of the tunnel like rats. _This is the horde we faced down south. How could they have moved all the way here without anyone noticing?_

Reyna is the first to regain her composure and starts dishing out orders to Alice and Dakota, who quickly run off to organize the Legion. There's a flicker of movement from the shadows, in a heartbeat I have Cyclone drawn and to the neck of, _Nico?_

There's another movement, and a pale looking Will stumbles from the shadow. Almost knocking Nico from the wall.

"Hey Perce, how you doing?" Nico asks sarcastically, pushing Cyclone away with his index finger.

"What the Hades are you two doing here?" I ask, sheathing Cyclone and steadying the swaying Will. Nico looks over the wall and sighs.

"We came to warn you about that." Nico replies, sounding tired and looking paler than normal. _I didn't think shadow travel took as much out of him anymore._

"A tad late, don't you think?" Reyna states sarcastically, surprising all of us.

"Bro, what've you done to her?" Nico whispers, leaning in close. But Reyna hears and glares daggers at him, making him step back slightly.

"Percy, Reyna, nice to see you again. Even under these circumstances." Will tries to quickly move the conversation along.

"Yea, it's been a while. How did you guys find out about the attack?" I ask, catching sight of Midnight running towards the wall with Thalia close behind.

"We met some, let's say interesting, people at Camp. I'll go into detail later, you know, if we live through the night." Nico finishes grimly, looking at the massing horde.

When Thalia arrives, we quickly fill her in on what's happening and she's then gone again. Off to fetch all the able bodied Hunters.

 _I wish we didn't have to ask them for help. They may all be acting fine, but I can tell that they are all still torn up about the attack. They might act a bit recklessly as well, all that time spent idle must have driven them mad._

I stare out over the wall, the horror of what's about to happen pouring over me. As well as the uneasy feeling building in my stomach. _Something feels off about this. You know, apart from being attacked here._

I watch as the Legion set up along the walls. One row with Scutum shields and then two rows of archers on the wall, with the rest of the Legion behind the wall waiting for a breach or to fill in for their dead comrades.

I look at the grim faces of the veteran Demigods and the pale faces of the newer recruits in their shiny new armor, some of whom have never seen a battle before. _If only we had more time to train, to prepare them for the Hell they're about to face. How many of them are going to die?_

I feel a warm hand slip into mine, pulling me from my dark thoughts and settling my unease a little. I look at Reyna next to me, her stoic mask on. But there is a slight quiver in her hand, as she no doubt is thinking the same as me.

I give her hand a tight squeeze and turn my attention back to the ever-growing horde.

 _This is going to be one hell of a fight, and if nothing else. I will protect Reyna, no matter the cost._

 _ **A/N: I'm sorry about the delay for this chapter. My laptop decided to update itself, and in the process deleted about 10,000 words of this chapter. But here it is and I hope you enjoyed it.**_

 _ **You know the drill and I'll see you next time.**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series. Rick does.**

 **A/N: Hi guys, I am truly sorry for how long it has taken me to write this chapter. Things just kept pilling up from Christmas and New Year, and I had to do a load of work to not get thrown off my art course. So I know this isn't my best chapter, but I hope you like it all the same.**

 **(Will POV)**

Shadow travelling is one of the most unnerving and terrifying experiences of my life. Being a son of Apollo, I'm not the biggest fan of the cold or dark. But shadow travelling is a whole different ball game, it was like walking through the Arctic without a coat on and blindfolded.

But the ragging storm in Percy's eyes as he pressed a sword to Nico's throat chilled me to the bone, and for half a second I wasn't sure what he would do.

Thankfully the situation diffused itself when Percy recognized us. So we turned our attention to growing horde of monsters, the likes of which I haven't seen since we put Gaia down.

I glance to the left and see the steely expressions of Nico, Percy and Reyna's and I truly envy their determination. _How can they look at these kinds of odds with such a cold calm?_

"Reyna, I think I will be of better use with your medics. Where are they?" I admit, turning towards the slightly terrifying girl.

"They should be organizing themselves in the Principia. It's about 200 meters that way." She tells me, pointing behind the wall. I give her a quick nod and make me way down the wall. Passing the many grim faces of the Legion as I head towards the Principia.

I arrive at the Principia feeling a little lost. _How am I supposed to tell who the medics are?_ My question is swiftly answered when I spot a group of with Asclepius Rods on their shoulders. _Well that was easier than I thought._

I jog up to a blonde guy, who looks like he could be my brother and tap him on the arm. The guy flinches, but recovers quickly as he turns to me.

"I'm looking for the medics?" I ask hesitantly. The guy eyes me a little cautiously for a second before letting a grim smile spread across his face.

"Well you found us. I'm Peter a son of Apollo, what can we do for you?" Peter gestures towards the group around him.

"I'm Will, I'm a son of the Greek Apollo. So I thought I would come and give you a helping hand." I inform Peter, who quickly eyes me up and down before flashing an almost blinding grin. _Gods, is that what it's like when I smile?_

"Well then. Welcome to the Harbingers of Death, the place you're most likely to die in the whole Legion." _Yea, that fills me with the utmost of confidence._ I smile back at Peter and grab a bag from the pile in the middle of the group. I quickly peek through the bag and spot Nectar, Ambrosia, bandages, water and _morphine?_ _Why the hell do they have morphine?_

There is also an armband with an Asclepius Rods, which I quickly slide up my arm.

"You got a weapon blondie?" Another medic calls out, looking me with a smug expression. I tug on the bow and arrow charm around my neck and grin as the Legionaries eyes widen as a beautiful golden bow grows in my hand and as a quiver full of arrows appears on my back.

"Will this do?" I joke, hearing a few of the other Medics trying to repress a snigger. I hold back my own laugh as the Legionnaire mutters something to herself.

I throw the bag over my shoulder and look up at the dark sky, growing despair building in my chest.

 _Dad, please just let me save a few._

 **(Thalia POV)**

I can tell that Percy and Reyna didn't want to ask the Hunters and I for help, and I know that their intentions are good. But I can't help feeling a little insulted. _We may be beaten, but we are not broken and useless._

Reaching the Hunters camp, I gather all the Huntresses that are able and tell them the situation. Many of the newer Hunters look scared and are trying to hide it with varying levels of success. But they all silently go about collecting their equipment, some head to the temple for potential last words with their sisters

Sofia and Jenna walk up to me with their gear and wait for everyone to get out of earshot.

"So how bad is it really?" Sophia whispers. I pause for a second, visualizing the horde by the entrance to the tunnel.

"Probably worse than you can imagine." I concede quietly, heading towards my tent to get my gear. Trying not to imagine how badly this could all turn out, and how many more Hunters we could lose tonight.

After I retrieve my bow and sling a quiver onto my back, I spot Riley looking a little lost with Gwen crouched down talking to her quietly. _Will she survive the night? Will any of us?_

"Thalia!" Riley calls out, spotting me and running over with Gwen in tow, looking a little relieved.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask, trying to sound a little upbeat. _Don't want to scare the girl more than necessary._

"Is this going to be a bad fight?" She asks, worry heavy in her innocent little eyes.

"I'm afraid it is." I admit, watching her face drop a little.

"But, you want to know a secret?" I quickly ask, earning a curious look from the young girl.

"Ok." She replies quietly.

"We have Percy, and your brother just arrived." I tell her with a grin, watching her face light up a little bit. _It's nice having siblings._

"Is he really? I'm so excited to meet him." She squeals, making Gwen and I smile at her. _I wonder if Nico will react with the same amount of enthusiasm?_

"That's all we need. Another man loving Hunter in our midst." Roxy hisses as she walks past, a look of disgust on her face, and then for the briefest moment a horrific grin flashes in its place. But her comment either goes unnoticed by Riley, or she just doesn't hear it. In either case I'm glad, if she gets upset during this fight then she might make a mistake and get hurt.

 _But what was that look on Roxy's face? Is it because she's a daughter of Ares?_

With the Hunters gathered up again we make our way toward the walls with the remaining wolves close behind.

 **(Percy POV)**

Still holding Reyna's hand, I scan the horde that has finally stopped pouring out of the tunnel. They stretch along the far side of the Little Tiber like a writhing black curtain.

"Light the torches!" Reyna commands, as the dying light signals evening. In a couple of seconds, torches are erected along the walls and on the towers, burning a dull orange.

Dakota reappears next to us, sweating a little as he takes a deep breath.

"The Legion is ready Consul. What're your orders?" He asks after regaining his breath. Letting go of my hand, Reyna turns to Dakota with a stoic expression.

"Have the medic's brought to just behind the Legion and make sure the Medicus is ready for the large amount of wounded we are no doubt about to have. Also, have the archers nock their arrows, but wait for my orders to fire." Reyna orders, and with a quick nod Dakota disappears again.

"Something's bothering me." Reyna says after watching Dakota run off.

"Why are they attacking from the front?" I query, as she turns back to me with a somber look.

"Exactly. Coming from this direction means that they have to cross the Little Tiber, which would always end in heavy losses for the attackers." She explains, looking out at the horde that is hovering just on the far bank of the river. _She's right, it doesn't make sense. I mean, they have the numbers for it. It just doesn't all add up._

"Do you think that this could be a diversion then?" I ask, kind of in disbelief that there could be any more monsters other than what's in front of us.

Looking thoughtful for a couple of seconds Reyna finally nods and turns back to me.

"Could you take a Centuria and check that there isn't another force sneaking in?" She asks, surprising me a little. Mainly because she's sending me away from the main battle. But also, what the fuck is a _Centuria?_

"Are you sure? Why not let one of the centurions' take care of it?" I ask. But Reyna just shakes her head at me and I know there is going to be no winning this argument.

"It would put me at ease if I know you are with them, because if they do end up finding another attacking force. You'll be able to get them through it." Reyna tells me, loading on the pressure like lead weights with the sweetest smile adorning her face. _But what about you?_ Biting back the question I really want to ask, I nod.

"Ok, but first. What in all the Gods names is a Centuria?" I ask, making her laugh a little bit. _If nothing else, I can make her laugh._

"It's a unit of about 80 strong and is lead by a Centurion." She explains, still grinning a little bit. _Wouldn't a hundred make more sense with those names?_

"Right, ok." I reply, turning to walk down the wall. But I catch myself and quickly pull Reyna in for a kiss. It's more of a quick brush of the lips, but it's filled with more feeling than any words could even try. _I hope we both survive till our next meeting._

Then I'm off, down the stairs and towards the large block that is the Legion. _Who the hell should I take?_ As I'm thinking about whom I should take with me someone calls out to me.

I look around to try and find the source of the voice, and my eyes land on Lauren. _Lauren it is then._

"Hey Lauren, I've got a job for you and your Centuria." I call out as I jog over to her. She gives me a curious look with her pale blue eyes as she ties her silver her up. _Like, is that her natural hair color or what?_

"So what's the job?" She asks, her tone surprisingly cheerful for an impending battle.

"Reyna wants us to check the walls perimeter to make sure that there isn't another attacking force, and you're the lucky ones that get to accompany me." I grin. She shrugs and turns to her Centurai shouting orders. _Where's Ross?_ As Lauren turns around, her Centuria pick up their gear and snap to attention. _The Greeks would have just started running._

"Lead the way boss man." Lauren chirps, sliding on her plumed galea helmet.

"Where's Ross?" I ask, leading the group onto the wall and towards Temple Hill.

"He got food poisoning like an hour and a half ago. He's been spewing from both ends the whole time, the poor bugger." She tells me. I grimace at her description of Ross' state, but carry on leading them along the wall. _They sure made these walls wide._

As we get about a hundred yards away I hear the monster horde roar presumably to start their attack, making me hesitate for a second. _She can handle herself,_ I try and reassure myself.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see the closest Legionnaire's looking back the way we came, struggling to resist the urge to go back and help with the fight.

"Let's make this quick so we can get back to where we're needed." I call out, breaking into a jog.

(Line Break)

It takes us about 45 minutes to get around to the back of New Rome. _Bloody walls._ I slow to a halt and scan the planes beyond the walls, and see… _Nothing._

"At this rate we should be back at the front in about 40 minutes. Let's get going." Lauren says merrily. _How is she so cheerful right now?_ But she's right, there's nothing around here. We should hurry back to the front and help Reyna.

"Alright, let's ge-" I falter when I hear a quiet crunch.

"Wha-" I cut Lauren off by raising my hand. The Centuria slowly lift their weapons, picking up on my sudden alertness.

I strain to hear the crunch again, anything. But all I can hear is the wind gently blowing past and the slightly labored breathing of the Legionnaires around me. _Was it just my imagination?_

 _Maybe it was nothing._ I begin to turn around when I hear a soft rustle, which sounds like it's about 30ft from the wall. I rest my hand on Cyclone and draw it a fraction, more than enough for everyone to be on full alert.

Lauren quietly issues orders, forming her men into file along the wall, before taking a place next to me and pulling out her Gladius.

"What is it?" She whispers to me, not taking her eyes from the dark expanse beyond the orange glow of the torches along the wall.

"I heard something." I whisper back, straining to hear anything else.

We stay like this for at least 5 minutes, everybody tense and barely even breathing. The flickering from the torches only just casting enough light to see a few meters past the walls. _We should really invest in floodlights or something._

That's when I hear it, the soft thud and rustle of something moving in armor. _They're coming._

I give Lauren a soft nudge and a slight nod, indicating that the enemy is approaching. And from the sound of it, _there are a lot of them._

A high whistle pierces the night from above us and I immediately extend my shield.

"Shields up!" I shout, covering my head and praying that everyone else is quick enough to protect themselves. A second later the whistle is replaced by a continuous stream of hollow sounding thuds, as arrows rain down on the shields.

After a few seconds the raining arrows ceased, leaving the night silent again. Well, apart from someone groaning. _At least they're not dead._

Lauren quickly orders someone to move the injured guy away from the front line and then orders her archers to return fire into the darkness, causing roars to erupt from the dark. _I guess we found the actual invading force._

Out of the darkness, four crude siege towers begin to materialize. Carrying a horrifying assortment of Monsters and Demigods. _Well this doesn't look so bad._

"There can't be any more than a hundred of them. We can take them." Lauren states confidently. Before what appears to be another 400 Monsters and Demigods step out of the shadows behind the trundling towers, and they look horrifyingly well equipped compared to the ones facing Reyna.

"Still think we can take them?" I grin, cocking an eyebrow at her. She just frowns at me before turning her attention to the approaching army. _This is going to be a long night._

We brake Laurens Centuria down into four groups and place them along the walls where the siege towers look like they will land. Which leaves about twenty legionnaires to deal with each tower. _Not the best odds, but it'll have to do. We don't really have the manpower, or the time to send a runner._

I'm standing with the group whose tower is closest to the wall, while Lauren is with the group that'll be hit second. _I'll shift between the groups as fast as I can. Keep the casualties as low as possible, if I can._

"Do you reckon we can win this?" A quiet voice to my left asks. I turn towards the voice and find a small Legionary, dwarfed by his armor. _He can't have been in the Legion more than a year._

"Honestly, I don't know." I admit quietly, watching his face pale with fear.

"What's you name?" I ask, leaning over to the kid.

"D-Derek." He stutters in response, struggling to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Alright Derek, and who is your Godly parent?" I ask, keeping my voice level.

"I'm a son of Venus." He tells me, looking as if he is trying to shrink into nothing within his armor. _Huh, I wouldn't have guessed that._

"You're worried that because your mother is Venus you wont be much help in a fight." I say, giving him a small grin. He nods slowly and I can't help but picture Silena facing down the Lydian Drakon.

"You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that." I start, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But you know what, some of the bravest Demigods I have ever had the pleasure of meeting have been children of Aphrodite." I say, Piper and Silena's smiling faces appearing behind my eyes along with a pang of guilt slamming into my heart.

But he looks up at me with wonder in his eyes and a little more confidence in his features.

"So let's you and I make a promise. Let's win this fight and I'll tell you about your Greek sister who won us the Second Titan war." I offer him, a grin spreading across my lips. I watch as a determined light fills his eyes and a small grin flash across his face as he nods enthusiastically. _Yea, keeping that promise might be hard._

I turn back to the approaching tower, the makings of a horrible idea building in my mind and a stupid smile growing on my face. _Reyna will skin my alive when she finds out about this._

I pull Riptide from my pocket and pull the cap off of it, extending it with a shink. I look at its bronze glow for a second, thinking of the irony of using fire with this sword. I ignite my right hand side and extend it along the ancient blade, catching a slight gasp from behind but pay it no mind.

I step up onto the parapets and click my shield back into a watch. Ducking out of the way a stray arrow I glance over my shoulder and grin at the small group of Romans behind me, all of whom are looking somewhere between shocked and completely done with my shit.

"If this works, I'll be right back." I state, somewhat seriously.

"What if it doesn't work?" An unhelpful voice asks from the back.

"Then it might take a little longer." I huff in annoyance. I wait an extra second to see if anyone else has anything to add, and when no one does I wink at them and step off the wall.

 **(Reyna POV)**

Not long after Percy left, the assault began. Rudimentary catapults were constructed, as strange L shaped siege towers made their way towards the edge of the river. _If they weren't being used against me, I'd actually be impressed with the design._

I ordered the archers to fire at will and the Ballista's to aim for the slowly approaching towers. But at the rate the towers are moving, I can tell that they are going to reach the walls, and _very_ soon.

I turn to the Legionary next to me, an apparent fury in my eyes as he flinches under my gaze.

"Tell the Ballista's to aim for the catapults. They are causing mayhem within the ranks." As if to solidify my point, a boulder crashes into the wall a few meters away, taking four or so Legionaries with it. _Fuck!_

After watching what just happened, the Legionnaire next to me sprints off towards the nearest Ballista, leaving me to my own thoughts. _How will this play out?_

I look around at the Legionaries on the wall. The archers shooting for their lives, the row with shields blocking as many arrows as they can, the rest of the Legion lining the stairs and piled up behind the walls. My gaze rises up with the cylindrical towers, where I can only see the bows of the archers and the occasional body littered with arrows falling over the edge. _Can we really win this? There are so many of them and we are so few, are we all going to die here?_

I'm pulled from my dark thought by a soft brush against my hand.

 _"_ _You worry to much."_ Midnight's soft voice whispers in my head. I look down to see Midnight rubbing her head against my hand and I crouch down next to her to rest my head against hers.

 _"_ _I'm afraid it's my job to worry."_ I return, looking into her beautiful silver eyes. Midnight huffs at my response and nudges me lightly with her head.

 _"_ _The Hunters are here."_ Her soft voice informs me, her ears twitching backwards for a second. I stand up and look back over the wall, it's easy to spot the silver clad group quickly approaching. Their small group is a welcome sight, as any reinforcements are a Godsend at the moment.

Thalia quickly strides up the stairs and over to me, electricity starting to crawl across her hands.

"Where do you want us?" She asks aggressively. _Well she's enthusiastic._

"Split into two groups and climb the towers at each end of this wall, and take out as many of them as you can. But I want you to stay in the towers." I instruct, cautiously watching her reaction. Her eye twitches and I can see the retort forming on her tongue. But, with a deep breath she calms herself and nods to me. Turning on her heel she marches back to her Hunters. _I hope no more of them die tonight._

"She getting better at controlling herself you know." Nico suddenly pipes up from behind me, scaring me half way to the Underworld.

"For the love of Neptune Nico! Don't do that!" I gasp quietly, looking around to make sure no one saw my moment of panic. I turn back to Nico, who is looking at me with a bemused expression.

"I've been here the whole time. It's not like I snuck up on you or anything, and you know, at least you weren't getting changed or something." He grins, an arrow sailing straight through his chest and clattering off the stones. _Well that's a neat trick._

"Yea, but you blend in with the darkness way too damn well." I hiss, watching his grin grow further. Nico's head snaps to look down the wall, all sense of amusement gone.

"The towers are about to land against the wall." He informs, his tone serious and his expression dark. _Already!_

He pulls his sword from his back and taps it lightly against the ground, immediately a fissure opens in the ground behind the wall and scores of skeletons emerge and drag themselves from the ground.

They then form ranks and march up the wall, replacing the front file of Legionaries as the archers quickly peel out and move to the rear ranks of the Legion. _This is where it really starts._

"Get word to the towers. Barricade the doors, don't let anyone in, no matter what." I instruct a different Legionary, who quickly grabs someone else and relays the message before they both run off in opposite directions.

I draw my sword and give Nico the faintest nod, before both of us sprint off towards the nearest tower, whose landing platform is just about to drop.

The platform crashes into the wall and anchors itself in place, immediately Demigods in black armor rush from the tower and crash into the lines of skeleton soldiers. _How do they have so many Demigods on their side?_

I change my sword into a spear, cock back my arm and launch my spear at the nearest Demigod. Catching them in the neck before they can deliver a fatal blow to a downed Legionary. An immediate pang of guilt grips my chest as the figure flies to the floor, but I press on and grab my spear from what appears to be a young boys neck, and continue onto my next opponent.

 _"_ _Reyna, the second tower is about to land."_ Midnight calls out to me as the crash of the platform echoes through the night.

 _"_ _Can you head over and help out?"_ I ask, dodging out of the way of a crude looking axe, blocking an incoming sword and then spinning my spear around a drive it into the stomach of the guy with the axe.

 _"_ _There isn't much room on this wall. But yea, I can do that."_ Midnight replies hastily. I quickly change my spear back into a sword and flick the tip across the throat of another black armored Demigod, who coughs and splutters blood as she grips her neck and drops at my feet. _Why did it have to be Demigods?_

Before the build up of guilt in my chest gets too much, my body drops into autopilot while my mind solely focuses on how to move the Legion. _Thank you Lupa for teaching me._

 _I pray that we can survive this, I pray that Percy is ok._

 **(Nico POV)**

 _Not wanting to jinx anything, but the fighting could be worse._ With all four of the siege towers having landed and a seemingly endless stream of Demigods pouring from them, the 3rd Cohort is holding the wall.

The fighting is heavy and there have been a fair few wounded, and there have been far more casualties than I'd care to admit from the bombardment and returned arrow fire. I watch for a second as the Medics quickly pull the wounded out of the fray and down to the walls.

Initially, Reyna was my biggest concern. I saw the look in her eyes when she speared her first Demigod, her face was as stoic as ever, but her eyes betrayed her guilt. _She's never had to kill one of us before, has she?_

But for the last hour or so, she has been a wave of death almost on par with Percy. _They must have been sparring together a lot. I wonder if he is on his way back yet?_

I sidestep an attack, grab my assailant by the wrist and cleave through his elbow with my sword. Making the, now apparent, young Demigod scream out in agony. With a flick of my blade I take his head from his shoulders and silence his scream.

I drop the severed arm and throw another quick look around. The numbers from the towers only grows and slowly begins to push back the Cohort.

They're being spread way too thin and soon they will cut off from each other, even with reinforcements lining the stairs. _We need to get off of the wall, fight this in the field before people start to get cut off._

I continue to fight my way through the waves of Demigods, trying to find Reyna, or even Dakota or Alice. _Basically anyone that can give an order, I'd even take a Centurion right now._

 _Wait, is that Alex? He'll do._ I start to fight my way over to the Centurion, who is swinging a very large war hammer with a terrifying kind of ease.

I cut my way through to Alex as quickly as I can, dodging out of the way of stray blades as more bodies begin to pile onto the wall and the enemy is slowly starting to push back the Legion. _We need to move._

I cut down one more Demigod, phase through another and I'm next to giant son of Vulcan who is exuding an outrageous amount of body heat. _I swear to the Gods, if he lights up like Leo. I'm out._

"Alex!" I shout over the clash of fighting, and when he doesn't hear me I grab his tree trunk arm. In a flash he turns on me, hammer aimed at my head.

At the last second I make my head intangible and the bloody hammer sails clean through. _I can't believe he swung at me._

Alex's face goes from fury to sorrow in half a second.

"Per Deos, Nico, I could have killed you?" He gasps, spinning his hammer back around and subconsciously blocking a strike to his side.

"Sure. Anyway, you need to pull everyone on the wall back to the rest of the Legion. If we stay up here any longer, we're going to be slaughtered." I tell him, punching a charging Demigod in the face. _Seriously, how many Demigods do they have?_

Rock explodes against the side of the wall, sending tremors through it and it almost brings me to my knees. _The wall might come down before we get down._

Alex quickly scans the conflict going on around him before nodding in agreement. He spins his hammer around and slams the butt of it against the floor with a thunderous crack.

"3rd, fall back from the walls!" He bellows, swinging his hammer around at another enemy. The effect is immediate, in absolute unison the Legionaries begin to back towards the wide stairs that lead down off the wall.

Looking down the wall, I can see Reyna coordinating a cut off group of Legionaries. Trying to find a different way off of the wall. _She needs help._

But before I can even begin to move to help her, a strong hand clamps down on my arm and pulls me down the stairs.

"What're you doing? I have to help her!" I lash out, spinning on whoever is holding me. I find Will holding onto my arm with bloody hands, his blue eyes pleading with me to stop.

"We'll get her down another way." Will reassures me, pulling me down step by step. Reluctantly I let him, just staying behind the retreating line. _How else are we going to get them down the walls? Reyna ordered the tower doors to be sealed._

Just as I'm about to agree with him and follow him down the stairs, a black arrow sprouts from his shoulder and sends him flying down the stairs.

I spin around a scan for the archer. I spot a group of them a few rows behind the front line of attackers and I feel my anger coil in my chest as my mind goes blank.

The earth begins to shake as the night somehow gets darker, the shadows thickening and long black tendrils that could almost be real shoot out of the ground, impaling a couple of dozen enemy Demigods, especially the group of archers. _How. Dare. They!_

As my power starts to flare out of control, all the fighting around me stops. With the Demigods on both sides looking terrified. The ground around my feet starts to crack and shadows wrap around me like a cloak.

Skeletons dressed in all kinds of military garb pour from the cracks in droves. I turn to the Legionnaires around me and flash a dangerous smile.

"You should be running."

 **(Percy POV)**

 _Ok, let me be honest for a second. This is not my greatest plan, and I blew up a volcano once._ After stepping off of the wall, I extend my new and somewhat awkward wings about three quarters of the way down and glide to the ground.

I hit the ground with a stumble, but quickly regain my composure. The towers don't stop, but all of the enemy monsters and Demigods are looking at me with shocked expressions. _I guess a burning Demigod has that effect on people._

In the next second, a dozen arrows are flying towards me. I spin, duck and cut all of them out of the sky, Riptide still ablaze.

Slowly I begin my advance, dodging the odd arrow and javelin. But never stopping my approach, and I can see the horror growing on the Demigods faces. _What's more terrifying than a single enemy walking towards you with absolute confidence? One that's on fire._

I reach out for the water in the lake, the connection building slowly because of the nature of the lake and the distance. _Bloody lake, can't be helpful for a change can it._

Finally the monsters that are closest to me lose their nerve and charge at me. A strange assortment of Cyclops', Dracaena, a few Empousa and a few Telekhine's. _Time to put on a show._

I point Riptide towards the approaching monsters and shoot a column of fire, incinerating a good few of the Dracaena and Empousa. _The others just had to be resistant to fire, didn't they._

The first Cyclops reaches me and I duck under its sloppy swing, jabbing Riptide into its side. I quickly pull Cyclone from its sheath and block an incoming strike from an Empousa's claws.

I spin on the spot and bring Riptide down on her shoulder, turning her to golden dust in a flash.

I continue on my warpath, cutting my way through the attacking monsters until I am standing right in front of the Siege Tower.

I look up at the scruffy tower and can see more than a few scared faces through the gaps in the wood.

"Percy! What the fuck are you doing?" I hear Lauren call from the wall. I turn and give her a wave, finally feeling the water in the lake bend to my will. _I should really work on long distance use of my powers._

I pull a substantial amount of water from the lake and collate it above my left shoulder. I turn back towards the approaching tower and form a giant lance with some of the water hanging above me.

"Holy shit." I just about hear someone gasp, which makes me grin as I launch the lance at the tower.

The lance crashes into the tower, taking a huge chunk out of it. I watch it for a moment, watching the rickety tower lean, the wood groaning from the strain. _Alright, let's get back to the wall before I get cut off._

(Line Break)

As the tower crashes down with the cries of everyone inside, I turn towards the wall. Only to be blocked by monsters in black armor and wicked looking weapons. _They look painfully familiar._

"Sea Scum! We've been expecting you." A large Cyclops shouts, pushing to the front of the crowd. He's wearing heavy looking armor and has a whole tree in his right hand. _He looks awfully familiar._

Standing easily at 15ft, fat beyond belief and horribly jagged yellow teeth. By all accounts he looks like an extra large Cyclops, the only thing that stands out is the fact that he's squinting really hard at me. _Oh, it's Polyphemus. How'd he get off his island?_

"It's wonderful to see you again." He sneers at me. _I mean, I doubt he's really seeing me. He did get stabbed in the eye with a stick or something._

"I would like to say that the feeling is mutual, but you're kind of attacking my home." I shrug in disinterest, spinning Riptide around.

"You could say karma has a way of biting you in the ass. Do you not remember attacking mine?" He questions, taking a step towards me, his grip visibly tightening around the tree trunk.

"I mean, you did kind of kidnap my friend and try and marry him. I feel like my attack was warranted." I counter, slowly circulating a large amount of water above us, hidden by the night sky. Polyphemus lets out a dry laugh before pointing his tree at me.

"You are the first that will pay for my humiliation. Next will be that sneaky little goat." He threatens. Slowly, so that none of them notice, I extend the ring of water hanging in the air so that it can surround the group in front of me.

"I am immensely grateful to the earth mother for dealing with the daughter of Athena however. But also a little disappointed, that I couldn't have my fun with her." He sneers, flashing his horrible yellow teeth. I feel my hands twitch slightly at the mention of Annabeth's death, but manage to hold my anger in check. _I'm not going to let him get under my skin. This is exactly what dad told me to get under control._

I do however change the plan for the water hanging in a loose circle above them. I freeze the ring and make it as thin as possible, with the sharpest edges I can manage.

I then lower the ring ever so slowly, praying that none of them notice it.

"How're you going to make me pay from all the way over there douchenozzle. Come and get me!" I shout, mainly just to distract them all from the nearly imperceptible ice ring that just dropped into place.

"Gladly." Polyphemus growls, taking a step forward. But he freezes the moment one of the Empousa asks why I'm smiling.

That's when I strike. In the blink of an eye I shrink the ring of ice, cutting most of the monsters down in a flash. Surprisingly, my ice shatters when it comes into contact with the black armor of some of the larger monsters. _Huh, I wasn't expecting that._

With only five of the originally large group of monster standing in front of me, I vastly prefer my odds of getting back to the wall.

"That was a clever trick boy, but you wont get past us." An Empousa snarls, smoothing out her hair as she gets back to her feet. _Is that right? She technically only has one foot._

I don't really wait around for all the monsters to have their own monologues as I fly towards them, slashing at a Hellhouds throat. Only to get covered in a dark, sticky fluid. _You've got to be fucking kidding._

Not really feeling the effect of my strike, the Hellhound swipes a frying pan sized paw at my head. I duck under the strike and hack at its neck, separating it with a sickening pop.

The huge beast staggers for a second before regaining its balance and pointing its body towards me. _Unfucking believable! They can't all be like this._

Diving out of the way of the lunge from the headless Hellhound, I drive Cyclone into the thigh of a Cyclops and as I hack it out of the side of its thigh, the same black blood pours from the wound. _Shit._

I jump back to avoid Polyphemus' tree and roll backwards to avoid a fast slash from a Demigod. _This is not going well._

I ignite my right arm and shoot a column of fire at the small group in front of me, only for the darkness to deepen and eat the flames. _That's really not good._

"Is that all you can do?" A gravelly voice sniggers, as a slender shadow of a man appears before the monsters I was trying to burn.

As it finishes forming, two ruby eye burn in its head as it stares unblinkingly down at me.

"And here I thought the immortal son of Poseidon would be more of a challenge." It mocks, examining its shadowy claws in disinterest. _It's a shade._

"Lauren, I'm going to be unavailable for a little bit. Hold the wall!" I shout, not taking my eyes from the barely visible enemy.

"What? You'd better get your ass back up here, or so help me I'll sic Reyna on you!" She threatens, which only makes me laugh a little. _What a funny girl._

"Return to the assault. I'll deal with the young immortal." The shade orders. Polyphemus looks like he's about to argue, but thinks better as he slinks towards the closest tower. _At least I don't have to deal with all of them at once._

I set myself with Riptide and Cyclone as the Shade turns back to me. It feels like it's grinning at me as it flexes the claws on both hands.

"I've told you're the reason Gaia was returned to her slumber. I was expecting you to actually be a challenge, but it would seem that you are like those pathetic little Hunters." It mocks again, slowly walking towards me.

"You're the one that attacked the Hunters?" I growl, igniting my arm and drawing water from the lake again.

"Attacked suggests that they fought back or defended themselves. I'm the one that slaughtered them." It boasts, ruby eyes burning with amusement. _Don't let it get to you._

"Yea, because pretending to be one of their oldest friends and then ambushing them is so hard. You're so brave and strong, I'm quivering in my boots." I bait, trying to keep my building anger under control. _Some of the girls it killed were children. Barely older than ten._

The Shade growls quietly, its claws twitching at its sides. _I think I struck a nerve with that one._

"I will take great pleasure in tearing that tongue of yours out." It hisses at me.

"I'm sure." I grin, launching the water I had collected at the Shade.

It dodges the high pressure water with ease and flies towards me, its claws extended towards my throat. I only just manage to get Riptide up in time to block the strike from tearing my throat out.

I just about get Cyclone in the way of a strike to my ribs and then dive as far as I can away from it whilst throwing a ball of fire at it.

But once again, the fire is just absorbed by the shadows. Having very little effect apparently. _This might be a little difficult._

As I roll to my feet the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I instinctively throw a block behind my head, just catching its claws. Which sends me flying headfirst towards the floor. _Brilliant._

The moment I hit the ground I roll to the side and up into a crouching position, Riptide and Cyclone at the ready. But the Shade is just standing there, watching as I get back to my feet.

I pull some of the water that has pooled on the ground to me, lengthening it into a whip; I crack it at the Shade. My water whip wraps around its wrist and I immediately freeze the end, shooting spikes out of it in every direction, embedding it in its shadowy arm. _Please do some damage._

Apparently the ice does little more than annoying the shadowy being. Then it does something I really don't expect, it grabs hold of the water and starts to pull against me. _This can't be happening!_

With a sharp tug, the Shade pulls me a foot forward. I exert more power over the water and pull, only managing to pull it an inch or so. _This really isn't good._

I separate the part of the whip that the Shade is holding and pull it al back to me, disregarding the whip as a weapon I make the water float above my left shoulder. So Water and Fire have zero effect on it. _Outstanding._

"You know, it's a neat trick. Those flames of yours. How fire and water can coexist inside of you is a marvel." The Shade admires, slowly stepping towards me.

"It truly is a testament to how powerful you are. It almost feels like a shame that I'll have to kill you. But alas, my Lord has ordered it of me." It continues, almost managing remorse. But the gleam in its eyes really offset the sound of its voice. _It's enjoying this way too much._

I'm about to reply, _something witty of course,_ but the Shade leaps towards me. I meet its claws with my blades, barely keeping up with the flurry of strikes aimed at me neck chest and head. _All things considered, this is going pretty well._

That is, until, pain shatters my concentration. Pain burns through my thigh, bring me down to a knee. _What the fuck happened?_

I block another strike from the Shade and dive as far away as I can. _Which, considering the pain in my leg, isn't very far._

With a second to myself, I look down at my thigh and find a small black dagger stuck out of it. _Who the hell threw that?_

I glance up at the Shade, who is looking just as confused as I am at this new development. _Stupid! I lost focus of my surroundings._

"Well, this is a disappointing turn of events. I would very much have liked to continue this bout uninterrupted." The Shade moans, the disappointment actually evident.

"I'm afraid it's time for my revenge on this meddling son of Poseidon, little shadow puppet. So why don't you get on your merry way and let me finish this." A boy grins, his horribly burned face appearing out of the shadows. _Great, this weirdo turned up. Was it Bill or Fred?_

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you _Alex._ You may work for my master, but you don't give me orders." The Shade warns, its voice dangerously low. Alex hesitates for a second, a moment of fear flashing behind his eyes. _Interesting._

"But as you have ruined my fun, I shall leave him to you. Till next time Perseus Jackson." I imagine it smiles at me, before it turns away and glides towards one of the towers that has landed at the wall.

"Well Jackson, we meet again." Alex grins, splitting his face in two.

"Erebus, will surely reward me for ending you." He continues, pulling out another knife as he creeps towards me.

"Yes, because taking someone else's kill is really worthy of reward. By the way, who're you again?" I bite back, pulling the knife from my leg with a grunt. Alex scowls at me, spinning his knife around as he approaches.

"I'm Alex and the specifics of your death don't matter, only the outcome." Alex shrugs. I pull the last of the puddle water to me and plaster it over my stab wound, immediately feeling the relief seep through me.

"Well, you'll need to kill me first." I grin, painfully pushing myself to my feet. Alex seems to find this hilarious as he almost doubles over laughing. _It wasn't that funny._

"In the state you are in, beating you won't be a problem." He laughs, confusing me slightly. _I'm not that beat up, am I?_

I look down at myself and the only wound I see is the one that is slowly healing on my thigh. I'm a little tired, but that's about it. _Is he high or something?_

I'm about to ask him what he means when I hear a scream come from the wall, which immediately grabs my attention.

I turn to the wall and see one of the Legionaries being held up by a spear before being thrown into the mouth of a Hellhound, as well as a few more being cut down with horrifying ferocity. _I need to get back to the wall. I need to protect them._

"All of them will die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it." Alex presses on, his face twisting into a disgusting grin. _Gods I messed his face up._

Alex springs at me throwing a testing strike to my side. I easily block the strike and riposte, trying to catch his wrist. But my luck has never been the best, Alex pirouettes out of reach before lunging again. His blade grazing just above my ear and I can feel the blood start to trickle from the wound. _I just got my hair the way I like it._

I feint right with Riptide, I then try to catch his undefended side with Cyclone. But again Alex twirls out of the way, evading my blade by millimeters. _He's a wriggly little bastard isn't he?_

The cries from the wall only grow more numerous the longer I waste with Alex, and it's kind of starting to pull at my focus. _And if my memory stands, my powers had pretty little effect on him last time._

We circle each other, waiting for an opening to strike. Each waiting for the others patience to grow thin, and for once it's not mine that goes first.

"Jackson! Get your flaming ass up here!" I hear Lauren bellow as I deflect Alex's strike.

"I'm working on it!" I throw back, sliding under a well aimed slash. _Does she think I'm having a picnic down here or something?_

"Well work faster! Or there wont be any of us for you to come back to!" She replies, the strain of fighting evident in her voice. It's like a bolt of lightning goes down my back when she finishes and I turn my attention back to Alex. Slashing at his throat with Cyclone, I then kick him in the chest and send him flying. _I need to end this soon._

Then, all of a sudden, the flames on my right shoulder reignite, burning golden as water starts to circulate above my left shoulder, almost glowing blue. I turn back to Alex, an odd sense of calm washing over me.

"I'm sorry Scar Face, you heard the lady. No more time to play." I tell him, succeeding in infuriating him. Alex growls and flies towards me, cutting back and forth with his knife.

But it's like he's moving through honey, all of his movements are painfully slow. I walk through his entire assault with ease, dodging everything by a breath. _What is this feeling?_

We continue like this for a few minutes, his attacks building in ferocity but never touching me. All the time it's like he is being weighted down with lead. _How am I doing this?_

I block and hold his knife just in front of my face. Alex is breathing heavily, with sweat building on his brow. _Is this to do with being a Champion? Is this what invoking should be like?_

"It would seem you're getting tiered old chap." I joke, sidestepping another sluggish slash, making him roar in outrage. _Let's end this._

I duck and spin under one of his strikes and drive Cyclone into his hip. I then spin out of the way of a wild thrust towards my groin and then drive Riptide up through his ribs. _Who aims below the belt?_

He grunts in pain, blood bursting from his mouth. But he tries to press on, reaching out to grab my wrist. _He's stubborn; I'll give him that._

I withdraw both of my blades and step out of reach as he staggers on the spot.

"How could you have beaten me so easily? I am more powerful than all of you." He splutters, falling to his knees. _That is an excellent question. What the fuck just happened to me?_

"I don't know and to be honest I don't care. I have friends to go and save, so have fun in the Underworld." I reply with a curt nod, before driving Cyclone down into his neck, twisting it savagely and pulling it out.

I watch the light leave his eyes as he crumples to the ground and turn my attention to the wall. _Right, how do I fix this situation?_

I catch the glimpse of a Legionary getting his head cut off and another being torn apart by Hellhounds with a now silent scream etched on his face. _Too many are dying._

 _I will save the rest of them!_

 ** _A/N: So there it is, I hope you enjoyed it. You all know the drill by now, so till next time guys._**

 ** _See you later._**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **A/N: Here's a long one because I took so long to upload.**

 **(Reyna POV)**

I've made a fair few mistakes in my life, but I can't get past the feeling that this might be one of my biggest ones to date.

The battle seemed to be going well at first, for about an hour or so we seemed to be holding the endless horde on the walls.

But no good thing lasts forever. Slowly but surely, our line began to grow thin as more and more were wounded or killed. _We need to fall back, try and push them back in a more open space._

As I'm about to shout the order to withdraw from the wall, I hear Alex's booming voice relay the order. _Huh, I didn't expect him to beat me to the punch._

But as per Roman training, the whole Cohort starts to move as one. Which in theory is excellent, but in practice, not so great in this situation.

As I have somehow ended up next to the tower furthest from the stairs when the call to withdraw came, leaving about twenty Legionaries and myself cut off. _Brilliant! Especially as I ordered the doors to the towers sealed._

" _Reyna! I can't get to you!"_ Midnight's panicked voice cries out in my head as I hear savage snaps and a growl thunder through the thick stone beneath my feet.

" _It's ok. Follow the Legion as they withdraw, I'll make it down somehow."_ I tell her, not really believing my own statement. _It's looking kind of bleak if I'm being honest._

The Legionaries that have been cut off with me have formed a crescent shaped shield wall, two rows deep. _But we won't last long. With the numbers swarming onto the wall, we'll quickly be overrun._

I duck out of the way of a black arrow and throw my cloak over the Legionnaire next to me to deflect a javelin, which embeds itself in the tower wall behind us. _Are these Demigods Greek? But I could have sworn I saw some of them using Gladius'._

I'm pulled from my thoughts when someone calls out 'incoming!' In a heartbeat, the second row of Legionnaires' lift their scutum shields up over their heads and over the heads of those in front of them.

I quickly pull my cloak up and around me, immediately feeling the soft thuds against it. _Can't really thank Athena enough for this, can I?_

The hail of arrows ends after a few seconds and it's followed by a sickening thud. I pull my cloak down and see a spear the size of a ballista bolt pinning a Legionary to the wall, having gone straight through his shield. _The arrows were a diversion to cut off our line of sight._

I look at the mass of enemies ahead of us and spot a Cyclops with intricate black armour grinning like an idiot. _Since when do Cyclops wear armour?_

I quickly change my sword into a spear and kill a Hellhound as it lunges at an unaware Legionary. _We have to get off this bloody wall._

As I'm about to give an order to try and push to the stairs the shadows explode and start to writhe, almost as if they were in pain. I can spot a dozen or so enemy Demigods speared and held aloft, hanging about 15ft in the air. _What the fuck is that!_

Taking advantage of the moment of pure horror that had frozen the enemy in their tracks, I give the order to push through the disorientated Demigods and Monsters and charge into the black mass of bodies.

(Line Break)

It's hard fighting as the twenty of us try and push through to the stairs. But I have never before seen Romans fight so well together.

We immediately fall into a pairs fighting style. Back to back, ever so slowly rotating in tight circles as we defend each other's sides and backs as we also try and cut down as many enemies as we can. _When did we even learn to fight like this? It's much more of a Greek fighting style if you ask me._

But, hard as the fighting is, we're making progress towards the stairs. Where I can just see the Legion reaching the bottom. _Who's that standing halfway up the stairs holding the enemy back?_

A figure wrapped in shadows and wielding a black sword cuts through countless enemies with a terrifying ease as the shadows take shape around him and spearing his enemies. _This looks eerily familiar. But it can't be Percy, there would be more fire._

A scream to my left sends a chill to my core. I turn and see two Legionaries getting butchered, half a dozen Demigods clad in black armour swarming them like ants, stabbing them relentlessly. _They're like mindless savages._

Another scream resonates through my skull as I turn just in time to see a Legionary get his head hit clean off by a Cyclops' club. His partner is quickly overpowered, brought to her knees and lets out a harrowing scream as she is pounced on and dragged off by a pair of Hellhounds. _If I survive this, I'm sure that scream will haunt my nightmares._

Our chances of reaching the stairs alive are rapidly decreasing. I frantically try and think of a way to get the rest of us out as I fight off the Demigods and monsters around me, feeling the reassuring pressure of the Legionary called Liz at my back. _How do we get out of this?_

"Reyna, I'll make a path for you!" I hear Nico call out, his voice sounding different. But I don't have time to think about the change in his voice, I quickly cut down the Dracaena in front of me and turn to look in the direction of Nico's voice.

Like a hot knife through butter, shadows purge a path from the stairs to me with spikes spearing all the enemies on either side of the path. _That'll do._

Grabbing Liz by the neck of her armour I spin around, blocking an incoming strike whilst simultaneously throwing Liz onto the path made of shadows. Hearing a surprised squeak escape her as she flies into the safety of the shadows.

"Everyone, get to the path made by Nico and fall back to the rest of the Legion." I shout, fighting off a Cyclops. In their attempt to get to safety, another five Legionaries are cut down in a brutal manner.

Waiting until the last Legionnaire is on the path, I finally back my way towards it. Watching as new spikes erupt from the ground every few seconds to impale any who dare approach. _When did Nico become so much more powerful?_

Stepping onto the path, I can feel the power within the shadows undulating beneath my feet. I turn to find that Liz waiting for me on the path, face pale and eyes wide but determined.

"What're you still doing here?" I ask incredulously.

"We couldn't leave you behind Consul." She replies simply. I look past her and see that the others are all right behind her. _You can't be serious. They all waited within an inch of danger, just for me?_

"Right. Well let's get the hell out of here." I say, unsure how to react to their display of camaraderie. They nod in response and we all dead sprint towards and then down the stairs, passing Nico in a blur.

"Let's go Nico! Everyone's off the wall." I call out to the Lieutenant of Hades. Glancing over his shoulder in acknowledgement, Nico raises one more wave of heavily armed undead before descending the stairs as if we weren't battling for our lives.

The shadows slowly peel off of him as he walks over.

"Those skeletons wont hold them on the wall for long." He informs me before striding off in the direction of the medics. _Where's he off to?_

I notice that Percy took Lauren and some of the 4th to scout the walls. That leaves me with the 1st, 2nd and 5th at full strength. The 3rd with heavy casualties and the 4th with a Centurai missing. _This is going to be hard, we are staggeringly outnumbered._

I spot Alice organising the Legion into a long crescent shape, covering the whole part of the wall that the enemy is breaching. _She's trying to pen them in. It could work, especially as the stairs act as a bottleneck._

I jog over to Alice, glancing around for Dakota. _I wonder where he is._

I reach her as she just finishes ordering the Legion into position, with the 1st, 2nd and 5th in the front and the remains of the 3rd and 4th ready to support.

"Bloody Hell Reyna! Don't sneak up on me looking like you've walked out of a horror film." Alice gasps, noticing me for the first time. _Do I?_

Before I can ask her what she means, a triumphant roar shakes the very ground under me feet. Quickly turning I see that the skeletons that Nico summoned have all been defeated and that the monsters have started to make their way down the wide staircase. Quickly followed by what looks like hundreds of Demigods. _Seriously, where did they get all these Demigods?_

In response to the approaching enemy the front row of the Legion lock their shields together and brace themselves for the inevitable impact. _We have to hold them here._

"Alice, send a detachment from the 4th to start building palisade walls either side of the Principia. We will be pushed back, we just need to be prepared and make sure that they don't get to the city. Or the wounded." I order. She nods in response, turning to go relay my orders. But I quickly ask a question that makes her freeze.

"Where's Dakota?" I ask, looking around again but not spotting the tall son of Bacchus. Alice stiffly turns back towards me, her expression grim and her eyes sad.

"He's… he's… he's been wounded." Alice struggles, her voice wavering a little bit.

"What? What happened?" I ask in shock.

"A rock from one of the catapults was coming right at me, I didn't even see it coming. But at the last second, he pushed me out of the way and it hit his shield. He lost his entire arm." She finishes quietly, guilt heavy in her eyes. _By the Gods, that's awful._

"You can't blame yourself for it. It's not your fault." I try and reassure her, placing a hand on her shoulder. _The guilt will crush her if she does._

"But if I had just been pa-" She tries to counter, but I cut her off with a glare.

"No! It's not your fault, it's their fault!" I start, pointing at the approaching enemies.

"It's Erebus' fault for staring this bloody war! So if you start blaming yourself for everything bad that happens, you'll…" I falter for a second, thinking back to how I crumbled when Percy was injured, how I was barely even living while he was in a coma.

"You'll end up like I did. So don't you dare blame yourself." I continue quietly, looking down for a second.

"Ok Consul, I'm sorry." Alice quietly responds. Before spinning on her heel and marching off to pass on my orders.

" _Do you think she'll be alright?"_ A soft voice inquires in my head. I turn a see Midnight materialising out of the shadows behind the Legion.

" _I don't know. But if she feels anywhere near as much for him as I do for Percy, then she will no doubt be blaming herself for his injury and she'll shatter under the weight of it all."_ I respond, watching the girl walk away for a second as Midnight lopes over to me. _Let's focus on the fight for now._

I turn back to the front line and see the approaching horde beginning to spread out in front of us. _At least they can only come down the stairs, unless they plan to jump from it. But that's assured injury or death._

As I'm about to issue an order to the Legion, there is a deep thundering crack that makes me pause. The wall in front of us, the one that stands at 10 meters tall and 5 meters deep, made from a mixture of stone and Imperial Gold. Comes crashing down.

Through the massive gap in the wall I can see a bridge crossing the Little Tiber, with rows upon rows of enemies filling it, the slight glint of Ballista's and their bolts shinning in the moonlight behind them. _Oh Shit. This is bad._

" _Midnight! Go and find Percy. Tell him the walls have been breached and that we are trying to hold them back, but we will soon be overrun."_ I urgently tell Midnight. Slivers of fear sliding down my spine.

" _Is that all?"_ Midnight asks quietly. So quietly that I almost missed it, and its meaning.

" _Yes. He already knows the rest."_ I quietly smile to myself. I can feel the sad look that Midnight is giving me, but she sprints off without another word. _Be safe._

I look around and notice that Liz, along with the other Legionaries that were with me on the wall, are by my side. They look ragged and beaten, but they look ready to defend me. _They should be with the medics._

"Before you say anything Consul, we're not leaving you. We know that we would probably be dead without you, so we're going to stick with you until the end of this madness." Liz grins under her helmet, her green eyes gleaming with a strange kind of mischievousness as the others nod along with her. _Well I guess they're sticking around then._

"Twelfth Legion Fulminata! We are the descendants of Emperors, given the glorious mission of protecting Rome's future. Let's show these monsters why Jupiter himself chose us for this task!" I shout over the thundering of the approaching Monsters and Demigods, raising my sword into the air. The shouts of nearly 2500 Legionaries pierce the night, making the enemy Demigods falter for a second. But the Monsters only respond in kind before charging at us.

 _Please get here soon Percy._

 **(Percy POV)**

 _Before I can even think about climbing back up the walls, I need to get rid of the rest of these siege towers. We may be holding them off at the moment, but with so few to defend, we will be slaughtered in no time._

I run towards the nearest tower, the strange feeling of calm and power pulsing through my veins. _Seriously, what's going on?_

" _It would seem that you are going about invoking in a more traditional manner than you did last time."_ An oh so familiar woman's voice whispers in my head.

" _I was wondering when you were going to pop up again, Lady Chaos."_ I respond, not even missing a stride to chat with the creator of the universe. _What has my life become?_

" _Well you seemed at a bit of a loss young wolf, and there are no rules that say I can't give you advice."_ I can feel the grin growing on her face. _Finding loopholes in her own rules? She has way too much free time._

" _I see, any other advice you want to pass on before you go?" I ask, cutting my way through a few monsters._

" _When you want to invoke, you need to think about two things."_ She starts, pausing whilst I spin past a couple of attacks and end a couple of Monsters and a Demigod.

" _First, you need to focus on the power given to you. What it means to you and the God who gave it to you, along with the bond that you share with the one that gave it to you."_ She continues. _Makes sense._

" _Second, much like when you took your little dip in the river Styx. You need something to anchor you. Otherwise you'll lose yourself to the power, which you were very close to doing last time."_ A slight tone of annoyance laced within her words. _Why's she annoyed? I'm the one that nearly died._

" _Thanks for the advice, but can I ask a question?"_ I ask, cutting an arrow out of the air.

" _I suppose, but I can already guess what it's going to be."_ She replies, sounding a little bored.

" _How the fuck do I fly with these wings."_ I ask, my wings involuntarily extending from my back and hitting a Demigod. _Gods damn it, why do they keep doing that?_

What follows is the wind chime of a laugh, which can only be Chaos' as I retract them.

" _You need to think of it like walking. You don't need to think of how it works, only that you want to go from A to B and your body will automatically take over. So just think about where you're headed, flex the new muscles in your back a few times and you should be good to go."_ She explains, making it sound incredible simple. _I doubt it is that easy._

" _Right. Well thanks for the advice, but I've got a fight to win. So I'll catch you later."_ I say, building a rather large fireball in my hand.

" _One more thing young wolf"_ Why does she call me that?

" _Those 'Shades' my son is so fond of. They are powerful, but they have one fundamental weakness. They can-"_ Chaos' voice is cut off before she can pass on the valuable information. _That just brilliant, how can telepathy even be cut off?_

Pushing the question from my mind, I throw the now huge fireball at the nearest tower and watch its midsection explode in a wondrous orange glow. _Two down, two to go._

The advice on how to invoke bounces around in my head for a second. _What the power means to me, and what it means to Hestia._

I continue to run over towards the third tower, the darkness hiding me just enough to sneak up on the Monsters and Demigods. _I haven't thought about an anchor since visiting the Styx before the Battle of Manhattan._

I slide through Laistrygonian Giants legs, slicing at its ankle and bringing it to its knees. I quickly spin back and slash through its neck with Riptide, whilst simultaneously blocking a strike to the back of my head with Cyclone.

I quickly turn to the Demigod attacking from behind and smash the pommel of Riptide into their face, sending their head rocketing backwards with enough force to send their helmet flying. _I still don't understand how so many Demigods would be turning against us, or even where they all came from._

I step up to the now apparent female Demigod, levelling Riptide at her throat.

"Why're you doing this?" I ask, interested in what drove her to turning her back on the Gods. But as the shadows begin to fall from around her face, the strange sense of familiarity washes over me. _Do I know this girl?_

Blue eyes stare blankly at me, blood pouring from her small nose and dirtying her beautiful face. _It can't be._

The point of Riptide dips for a second as I take in who's in front of me. But my hesitation only invites an attack, thankfully my instincts take over and I deflect the attack.

"How're you here? You died in Manhattan!" I ask, slowly backing away as I continue to block her strikes. She doesn't answer my question, pressing her attack instead with a blank expression. _What the Hades happened to her?_

I can't bring myself to attack her, all the memories of her flashing up in my mind bring tears to the corner of my eyes.

"Percy! Get the fuck up here before I come down there and _Kill_ _you myself!_ " Lauren screams from the walls, pulling my attention just long enough for my assailant to cut the inside of my right thigh. _Fuck that hurts._

I spin away from her next attack, and slash Cyclone across her forearm to make her drop her sword. It doesn't stop her attacks though; she just jumps at me and tries to claw at my face. _How did this happen to her?_

I quickly sheath Cyclone and punch her in the stomach hard enough to expel all the air from her lungs and make collapse. I catch her with my left arm and pull her into a soft hug.

"I'm so sorry. Sorry I couldn't save you when you faced the Lydian Drakon, and I'm sorry that this has happened to you. I hope you find peace back in Elysium." I whisper, quickly driving Riptide through her chest, eliciting a sharp gasp. As I'm placing her down on the ground, her arms wrap lightly around me.

"Thank you Percy." She sighs quietly, making me look down in surprise. A warm smile and her sparkling blue eyes lights up her face, bringing a small smile to my own.

"Rest in peace Silena." I croak with a wobbly grin.

"Charles sends his regards." She smiles before the light fades from her eyes and she goes limp in my arm. _Are all these Demigods from the Underworld? Are we fighting our old friends? What kind of monster would do this?_

A new rage builds in my chest as I lay Silena on the ground, burning the location into my mind so that I can come back and retrieve her body after this stupid attack.

Feeling the flames on my arm intensify with my rage I stalk towards the third tower, each step sending small tremors through the ground. _He'll pay for this._

About ten meters from the tower I extend my wings, and with all the strength I can muster I jump into the air. Gaining an extra few meters with a wobbly flap of my wings.

I then drop like a rock and slam my fist into the ground, shattering the rock beneath my feet and sending huge cracks towards the the last two towers.

The effect is immediate. The towers shake slightly for about a second or two, but then the full force of the localised earthquake makes them swing precariously from side to side, sending Monsters and Demigods a like flying from the towers before they come tumbling down into the huge crevices that have opened up beneath them.

The remaining enemies outside the walls look around in confusion, unaware of my presence for a few dangerous seconds. _How many more of my friends are under those helmets?_

I fly towards the nearest monster, which happens to be a Hellhound and cut it clean in two, take a moment to look around before launching myself at the next enemy.

Now they are all fully aware of my presence, and what looks like about 200 Monsters and Demigods turn towards me with their weapons raised. _No one is leaving here alive._

 **(Lauren POV)**

When Percy stepped off the wall, I would be lying if I said that it didn't piss me off a little. _Like, what does he think that he can achieve by himself over there?_

But I really didn't have time to think about it. As the tower approaching me was so painfully close, I could see the Corinthian helmets of the Demigods and Monsters faces inside. _I don't think we can win this. We are too few and they are too many._

But regardless of my negative thoughts, we fought. Morale skyrocketed when we saw the first tower crumble before it even reached the wall, and the twenty Legionaries that were stationed in front of it quickly filed into the other groups to await the landing of the others.

But as I slowly tracked Percy's progress towards the next tower, I noticed something was very wrong. _It shouldn't be taking this long for him to get to the second tower. They're like twenty meters apart._

With my tower only a couple of meters away, I spare a glance over the wall to try and spot him. It's not exactly hard to find him, as he is basically a beacon with that fiery right arm of his. _What in the name of Neptune is he fighting? A shadow?_

From the brief glance I got at their clash, they are both moving unbelievably fast, neither scoring a strike on the other. But it is painfully obvious who has the upper hand. _You'd better not die on me Aqua Boy._

I turn my attention back to the tower in front of me that is just about to land. I call for everyone to get their Pilum ready and the moment we see a sliver of the enemy we throw them into the gawping mouth of the tower, disintegrating a dozen Monsters and downing even more Demigods. _This is where it begins for us then._

I can't remember how long we have been fighting, but it has been long enough for me to worry about where the fuck Percy is. _He can't be dead. Can he?_

After shouting down at him again and not getting a reply, the worry clawed its way up my spine. _We can't hold this part of the wall much longer either. We are losing too many, even with the second tower downed._

As I am about to order a withdrawal the ground starts to shake, and what looks like a blazing inferno lights up the darkness on the other side of the wall. _Thank the Gods he's alive. I really didn't know how I would have told Reyna if he was dead._

The tremors begin to intensify until I can hear the deep thundering cracks of the ground beyond the wall, and I can only watch in awe as the final two towers go tumbling down with the screams of the Monsters and Demigods that were still inside piercing the night. _Thank fuck no more can get on the walls, for now._

With a sudden boost in morale as the towers go tumbling down, the Legionnaires around me let out a war cry and lock their shields as they press the Monsters and Demigods back against the wall. _At least this hell will be over soon._

After quickly finishing off the rest of the enemies, I glance over the wall to see that the rest of the horde that was there is now only a few stragglers running for their lives. _Right, we need to get back to the main fight._

"Centurion, where's Percy?" A young Legionary asks. _He's new, I think his name is Derek._ But he does make a great point. _Where the Pluto is that dim witted son of Neptune?_

As if to answer my question, a flaming body comes tumbling out of the sky and lands right in front of me.

"Fuck this flying shit." Percy grumbles as he slowly pulls himself to his feet. I can't help but laugh. In a situation as serious as this, he still manages to make a complete fool of himself. _What an interesting guy._

"Nice of you to drop in Praetorian." I smirk at the grumbling immortal Praetorian. He climbs to his feet and retracts his wings. _Wait! Wings? Why does he have wings?_

Noticing my dumbfounded look, he sighs and roles his eyes.

"I'll tell you later." He mutters, flicking blood and dust off of his sword and brushing it off of his armour and cloak as best he can. _Well it's definitely obvious that he's been fighting._

"Alright boys and girls, it's time to head back to the front and end this." I call out, watching as everyone picks themselves back up and psych themselves up again. That's when I hear the slight tap rocketing across the stone wall. _The fuck is it now?_

I'm about to draw my sword when Percy sprints off in the direction of the tapping. _Well I guess it's not a threat._

I hear dog like panting and the hushed whispers of Percy. _It must be Midnight. But didn't he leave her with Reyna? She must have a message._

Percy comes sprinting over with a worn out looking Midnight and he looks worried. I take a few step away from the others so that what ever Percy has to say isn't overheard.

"What is it?" I whisper, throwing a quick look over my shoulder to see if anyone is trying to listen. Thankfully Percy understands what I'm trying to do.

"They've broken through the wall and are swarming through. The Legion is doing its best to hold them back, but they are horribly outnumbered." He whispers hurriedly, giving Midnight a soft stroke on the head as he talks.

"The remainders of the 4th are building a palisade from the Principia to the walls so that they have a somewhat defendable point to fight from. But it's not looking great." He finishes, a grim look on his face. _Well that's just fanfuckingtastic, there aren't even that many of us to reinforce with._

I turn and look at the waiting Legionary's, quickly realising that there is only 57 of us left. _We won't even make a dent._ But when I look in Percy's swirling eyes, I know that regardless of what I decide to do he's heading into the thick of it. _Always has to be the hero, doesn't he?_

"Well I guess we better get going then. We've got lives to save." I grin, punching him lightly on the arm.

 **(Percy POV)**

Dread drums through me after Midnight delivered her message. The tired wolf lopes next to me as our small group makes its way back to the Legion. _We have to make it in time._

I know it's kind of Roman doctrine to fight to the last, but I really wasn't sure if the tired and battered Romans would be up for it. _They sure are a reliable bunch._

"I'm glad you came back." A small voice pipes up next to me. I glance down and see Derek running alongside me in his oversized armour.

"Me too little man, and I plan on keeping my promise. So stay safe." I return with the best smile I can muster. He nods in response and falls back into line with the others.

But even at a run along the walls, it'll take us about fifteen minutes to get there. Especially as they're worn out and winded from fighting.

" _How was it looking when you left?"_ I ask Midnight, trying to keep the voice in head level.

" _Worse than you are probably imagining. I've not seen so many Monsters in one place for centuries."_ She replies quietly. _Not for centuries?_ _This is worse than both the Titan and Giant Wars? Well that's fantastic._

My pace quickens to a run and I start separate from the others.

"Percy, slow down, we can't keep up." Lauren calls out, which slows me down a step as I look back. She falters for a second when I meet her eyes. _I must have a scary look in my eye._

But she collects herself as they catch up to me.

"Percy, I know you want to get there as quick as you can and I know you are a fairly unparalleled swordsmen. But even you won't be able to make much of a difference alone and tired." Lauren explains, and I know that she's right but it's still frustrating that I'm not there to protect Reyna.

All of a sudden the night sky is lit up with a huge explosion, and after a few seconds the shockwave hits and almost takes my feet out from under me. _What the fuck was that?_

Quickly regaining my balance I quicken my pace, promptly followed by the group of anxious Romans behind me. No complaint about the speed I'm setting now.

It takes us about five minutes to sprint to a portion of the wall where we can see what's going on with the battle, and it's not a pretty sight. _She's ok, she has to be._

The Principia is in flames, far too many bodies are all over the ground and there are even more piles of gold dust. But the horde of enemy Monsters and Demigods still looks endless. _Did they empty Tartarus or something._

I can just about make out what remains of the Legions lines as they are being pushed back to New Rome and even though they are fighting like demons, they are being pushed back frighteningly fast.

" _Can you find her?"_ I ask Midnight, finding myself momentarily unable to do anything.

" _I already have. You focus on dealing with the monsters, I'll get to Reyna."_ Midnight replies calmly, obviously trying to stop me from worrying. I crouch down next to the beautiful wolf and rest me head against hers.

" _I just want you to know that you have been the best friend anyone could have asked for and if it wasn't for you, well, I don't even want to think what kind of state I would have been in. So I want you to make me that promise again."_ I start, feeling her head cock to the side inquisitively.

" _If things go south more than they are now. I want you to snatch Reyna and run, I don't care how you do it. You grab her and run to Camp Half-Blood. Can you do that for me?"_ I ask, leaning back so that I can look in her intelligent eyes. There is a moment of silence as Midnight thinks over my request.

" _She won't like that you know."_ She states, almost raising an eyebrow at me.

" _I know."_ Is my quest response, and after a few seconds Midnight sighs.

" _Fine, but if you're not there at Camp to calm her down. I'll come back a drag you there myself, regardless of your condition."_ She threatens, a warning growl reverberating through her throat. I laugh and kiss her forehead.

" _You've got yourself a deal."_ I grin as I stand back up. I turn to Lauren, whose eyes are a little panicked under her helmet. _I guess that's to be expected._

"Lauren, take the rest of your Centurai around to the rear of the Legions lines and support them from there." I order, snapping her from her panic. She turns to me with an inquisitive look in her eyes, already asking questions.

"Where are you going?" Is the one she settles on.

"To give them something else to focus on." I reply simply, pulling Riptide and Cyclone out. I can see her gearing up for her next question, but I close my eyes and I'm already focusing on what Chaos told me about invoking. _What does the power mean to Hestia and me? What is the bond I have with Hestia? What is my anchor?_

 _The power is a means to protect and comfort, be it those who cannot protect themselves or those I care about. Hestia is the one that brought be back from the brink, she gave me a purpose and a reason to live._

Thinking about an anchor takes a little longer. In a second, Mum, Lilly and Reyna all appear in my head. The three most important people in my life. _But there was never a rule that said I only needed one anchor. Was there?_

I hold tight to the image of the three of them in my head as I focus on the power Hestia gave me. I can hear Lauren ask me a question, but I push her voice to the side for a second as I wait for something to happen.

For a solid thirty seconds, nothing happens. _Am I doing it wrong? Is there something else to it that Chaos didn't tell me?_

As I'm about to give up and ask Lauren what she asked, I feel it. It starts off as a warm ripple over my tattoo, so insignificant that I nearly missed it

But in a flash it grew to a roaring inferno, engulfing my right arm and making my tattoo shine through my clothes and armour like a bonfire. I can feel the flames licking up the side of my face and around my back as two fiery wings expand from my back.

The feeling of calm and power pours through my system like it did earlier, but this time it's dialled to 100. I can feel heat in my eyes and can just about see the glow of something above my head, but I don't have time to find a mirror and examine myself. So I turn to Lauren instead. _I only have about one hour of this._

"Centurion, go and support the Legion." My voice sounds different, deeper and more powerful, but at the same time it sounds warm and comforting. _It sounds weird._

From the look on Lauren's face it must have surprised her. She immediately comes to attention, almost as if it's instinct, salutes and then responds with.

"Per voluntatem tuam Praetorian!" Which I think translates to, 'By your will Praetorian!' Or something like that. _I don't think I've had anyone speak so formally to me before._

She then quickly turns on her heel, gathers up her troops and then marches them back the way we came. Midnight nudges my leg lightly, a light laugh floating through my head.

" _Well that was entertaining. But you're still you in there, right?"_ Midnight asks, carefully masking her concern.

" _Yep, still me."_ I reply, turning my attention to the black mass of bodies that spreads out before me.

" _Go find Reyna, tell her I'm here."_ I say, jumping off of the wall before she can reply.

(Line Break)

I don't know if it's because I've invoked or because I have big fiery wings on my back, but I glide to the floor rather than plummet. _Probably the fire wings._

As my feet touch the ground, I'm already surrounded. _It's not like I was being obvious or anything as I singlehandedly light up the night._

But instead of rushing in like they usually do. The monsters seem almost hesitant. _How interesting._

"Shall we begin then?" I ask, more talking to myself than anyone else as a small grin begins to grow on my face.

There is some shuffling in the Monsters ranks and the Minotaur bursts forth from the mass of bodies. _You just don't stay dead do you?_

The Minotaur unleashes an earsplitting roar, which makes the Demigods around it flinch but riles up the surrounding Monsters. _I guess you're first._

I ignite Riptide and fly towards the Minotaur, closing the twenty meter gap in a second. The Minotaur swipes at me with his giant battle axe, but it's travelling so slow that I could have walked out of the way.

I slide under the axe and drive the burning Riptide into the thigh of the Minotaur, making it emit a bellow of pain. He aims a backhand at my face, by I take his hand at the wrist with Cyclone, eliciting another roar of pain.

"What's the matter big fella? Didn't you used to be better at this?" I taunt, jumping back a couple of meters. I grin as the Minotaur drops down onto all fours, which looks kind of funny considering his left hand is a stump. _Just what I wanted._

The Minotaur punches the ground with his good hand and charges at me with his head down. _Well this brings back memories. Gods that was a long time ago._

As the Minotaur comes within striking distance, I bring Riptide slamming down on his horn. Separating it as the force slams his face into the ground.

"I guess playtimes over." I sigh, driving Cyclone through the back of his head and watch as he explodes into golden dust. I flick the dust off of my swords and turn my attention to the surrounding enemies. _Let's even these odds._

 **(Lauren POV)**

Seeing the horde of Monsters that the rest of the Legion had been facing sends a bolt of guilt through me. _We should have been here. I know we had to stop the other assault, but we were needed here so much more urgently._

But now isn't the time to get hung up on that, so I turn to Percy who is eyeing the battlefield with a sort of calculating look in his eye. _What's he thinking?_

The orders he gives confuse me at first. He didn't include himself, as if he's planning in heading elsewhere.

"Where are you going?" I ask, sounding much more confused than I would have liked.

"To give them something else to focus on." Is his annoyinglycalmresponse as he closes his eyes.

"What do you mean you're going to give them something else to focus on? You're just one guy Percy." I ask, getting a little annoyed by his one man army approach to fighting. But he doesn't respond as his breathing slows.

"Are you even listening to me?" I ask, anger bringing to flare. _Is he ignoring me?_

"Hey!" I growl, reaching out to grab his shoulder. When a flicker of red ripples across his left shoulder. _The fuck is that?_

I retract my hand slowly and in the next second flames explode from Percy. I jump back a few feet I throw my hands over my face. _I may also have screamed a little._

I lower my hands from my face and am immediately in awe of the Son of Neptune and Champion on Vesta. His right side is wreathed in golden flames, with two wings flickering on his back. His eyes are swirling flames of green and red, but the most surprising feature that he has gained is the crimson halo hanging above his head and I can feel the raw power rolling off of him. _This is some next level shit right here._

The voice that he uses to repeat his orders calms, inspires and terrifies my all at the same time. My response is instinctive and in Latin. _Does Percy even know Latin?_

But I spin on my heel and head off to support the Legion.

 _How many secrets does that kid have?_

 **(Reyna POV)**

The clash with the Monsters and Demigods was brutal and savage beyond belief. On the first impact dozens died in an instant, swept away by the sheer force of the collision.

But regardless of how much training the Legion had, they were never trained to deal with this many enemies at once and if history is anything to go by, we'll soon be massacred.

We were pushed back at a steady pace and when we reached the Principia my heart dropped. _This is the last line._

And so we fought. Fought to defend the only home any of us had known and all of the people living in it.

The front line never allowed a gap. The moment a Legionary fell, the hole was immediately plugged with another and while this is a great show of their drills and training. We are losing too many.

A shout from behind draws my attention. I spin around to see Legionnaires waving frantically, trying to tell me something over the deafening clash of the fighting.

"Liz, go find out what the Legionary is trying to say." I order, turning back to the conflict. I see her nod out of the corner of my eye before she darts off.

"INCOMING!" Someone yells, I look up to see a giant fiery rock sailing towards us. _Shit!_

 _How in the name of )uno are we supposed to deal with that?_ There's no time to really think, I rip of my dust covered cloak and pull the nearest Legionaries to me, wrapping the cloak around all of us.

The impact of the boulder sends us flying a few meters into the air, and when we hit the ground the air is pulled from my lungs. _At least we're not dead._

I roll out from my cloak with ringing ears, the Legionaries I pulled in groaning as they try and pull themselves to their feet. I look up and all the air I had managed to regain is forced back out.

The Legion is scattered, countless bodies littering the floor. The enemy Demigods and Monsters cut down the disoriented Romans with a hysteric kind of glee.

Someone slides to the ground next to me and is trying to talk to me, shaking my shoulder urgently. But their words are fuzzy as the wringing dominates my head. _I need to help them._

I take a few deep breathes and drag myself to my feet, changing my sword into a spear and using it as a staff. When I'm on my feet I turn and see that Liz is the one that is trying to talk to me. _What's she trying to say?_

I try and read her lips, but all I'm getting is that something is ready. When she realises that I can't hear her, she grabs my shoulders and points me towards the Principia and points the new palisade walls. _Oh, that's ready._

I give her a nod to show her that I understand and turn my attention back to the approaching enemies and the confused Legion.

"Twelfth Legion! Fall back to the Principia!" I shout as loud as I can. The remains of the Legion begin to make their way to the Principia, but they are moving way too slow. They're all going to be killed before they get there.

I sport a limping Legionary moving as fast as he can as a walking Demigod closes in on him. Without even thinking I spin my spear around in my hand and launch it at the enemy Demigod, missing the limping boy by centimetres as I hit the enemy in the throat.

"Gather everyone able and help as many as you can." I probably shout at Liz, but she doesn't look fazed as she grabs the few Legionaries that I hid under my aegis cloak and runs off.

I turn and run to where I threw my spear, passing the limping Roman with a small smile. _At least he'll be safe for the time being._

I dive under a sword aimed at my throat, roll to me feet and drive my fist into the stomach of another Demigod before flipping them onto their back and stamping down on the front of their helmet, caving it into their face.

I dodge my way out of the way of half a dozen more attacks and lay out a few more enemies before I reach my spear. The moment I grab it I spin it around in a wide circle to create some space for myself.

In the moment of rest before they all come crashing towards me again a 15ft figure approaches, decked out in immaculate black armour. With a Gladius in one hand and a Scutum with two Pilum in the other. _They're definitely rocking the Roman look._

"Why do you fight child?" A chillingly familiar female voice asks, sending pricks of fear through me.

"Is it for the glory of Rome? To protect these snivelling insects you call friends?" She continues, spreading her hands to the retreating Legion behind me. Her eyes gleaming with madness behind the face mask on her helmet. _I never did like those masks._

I keep my sword ready at my side as I warily watch the masked giant in front of me, my left hand subconsciously gripping my cloak incase I need to bring it up like a shield.

"Do you know what would be a better idea for you my _dear_?" She starts. But that one word freezes me to my core. _Only one person calls me that._

"Why don't you join us. Your precious Legion is about to be destroyed, along with that pesky son of _Neptune_. So why don't you join us before you lose it all and die with them?" She offers, but I am now 100% sure of who is hiding behind that emotionless mask.

"It's nice to see you too, _mother._ " I growl, making the surrounding Demigods and Monsters flinch away at the quiet rage in my voice. But instead of being shocked Bellona laughs as she removes her mask.

"You were always annoying astute." Bellona grins as she shrinks down to a more human size. She approaches me with slow graceful step, as if she were in a ballroom rather than on a battlefield.

"It's a good offer _dear._ What point is there to stay on the losing side?" She presses, her tone as sharp as the sword in my hand.

"Why have you betrayed Rome?" I counter, taking a half step backwards as I try and keep space between us.

"There are two reasons really." Bellona starts, only to be cut off as a feral looking centaur charges at me. But before it can even get with five meters of me, Bellona flicks her wrist and the monster explodes into dust.

"Can't you see I am talking with my daughter?" Bellona states, sounding bored. While she is distracted, I take another few steps back.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes, there are two reasons. One, this will be such a beautiful war. Hundreds will perish, mountains will crumble and the powers will finally shift from those peace loving Olympians." Bellona grins, spreading her arms to the carnage all around us. The Legion which is fighting desperately to retreat, the Monsters that are chasing them down and the enemy Demigods that are cutting them down.

"The second reason is a lot more personal. You see, there is a certain boy that I really must kill. But he's kind of a big deal to a lot of people, so I couldn't just have him killed off. So this seemed like the easiest way to achieve that." She explains, tilting her head to the side a little.

"I do believe you know him. His name is Perseus Jackson, son of Neptune and Champion of Vesta. About 6'4, slim build, greeny red eyes, black hair." She describes with a mocking tone.

"Of course you know him. He's the Greek scum you let into the city and your bed. Of all the men, and you say I've betrayed Rome you little whore." I knew she was talking about Percy from the start, but it doesn't make it any nicer to hear her plan to kill him.

"He is broken and weak, but still has the nerve to act so arrogantly to the Gods. He thinks himself a 'Hero' and rides around on that title like he's earned it. But he is followed so closely by death that I am amazed he isn't friends with Mors, his friends drop like flies because he is incapable of protecting them. The only reason you've survived this long is because of the training _I_ gave you." Bellona exclaims, slamming her hand against her breastplate. _Does she really believe that._

"Don't you dare." I whisper, glaring holes through Bellona's head.

"What?" She spits back.

"Don't you dare talk as if you know him." I hiss, watching as Bellona's expression goes from calm to disgust in a heartbeat.

"He didn't ask for any of this. He doesn't believe himself a hero and has argued that since the beginning, giving all the credit to his friends who were with him. The weight of all those who have died crushes him everyday, he wishes he could switch places with any one of them if he could. But he pushes on, lives his life as well as he can to respect those of his friends who've died." I boomed, taking a breath.

"So don't you dare talk like you know what he's like or what he's done." I snarl.

"You truly are a lost cause you runt. I knew it from the day I gave birth to you. I should have just left you to die." Bellona sighs. Her words really don't sting as much as I expect them to, I guess I really stopped caring about her after the whole Terlingua incident.

Bellona draws her sword and points it at me, a cruel smile growing on her face.

"This is the end my _daughter_. I can't wait to see his face when he finds out you're dead. It'll be a euphoric moment I'm sure." She cackles, flying towards me with unimaginable speed. _What happened to Gods not being allowed to fight unless they are challenged?_

I quickly block her incoming strike, which hits with enough force to make small craters around my feet. _That hurts as much as I remember it._

I dodge out of the way of her next attack, and throw a quick counter. But her shield is already there and she's already countering.

I only just manage to get my cloak up to block a strike that sends me flying. _Thank you Athena. A hundred times thank you._

With an aching body I pull myself to up and spin out of the way of a downward slash, and before I can attack again I am pushed back on the defensive, struggling to keep up with the ferocious onslaught of attacks. _I won't be able to keep this up much longer._

Five minutes, that's exactly how long I last before I make a big mistake. Sure I've got a few cuts here and there, but they were only minor.

No, my big mistake was spinning right instead of left to avoid a strike. The moment I come out of the spin Bellona's shield connects with my face.

I fly backward and when I hit the ground I have just enough time to move my head to avoid getting a pilum through the eye. _That was close._

Before I can get up Bellona is above me, her Gladius resting against my throat.

"Well I guess this is farewell my _dear daughter_." She grins, I can't do anything but watch the muscles in her arm begin to tense. _I'm sorry Percy._

(Line Break)

" _You seem to be in a bit of a predicament."_ Chaos' voice trickles through my head, and before my eyes everything stops. From the corner of my eye I see a female figure appear and walk over to me.

"Lady Chaos? How are you here?" I query. _I thought she wasn't allowed to interfere._

"You're right, I'm not allowed to. However, I'm not the one interfering. I just asked Chronos to extent this second indefinitely for me." She shrugs coming to a stop above my head, a mischievous grin beginning to spread across her lips. _She has way too much free time._

"Why would you do that?" I ask incredulously, not seeing any logic or reason for her to do this. Chaos looks down at me with a small smile and raises an eyebrow.

"You haven't given me an answer yet." Is all she says. I look up at her with wide disbelieving eyes as she stands there looking down at me expectantly. _That's it? She had time frozen, to get an answer._

"If you accept, I can guarantee your survival. In this little bout anyway." She adds quietly, maybe hoping that I won't hear her.

"Plus, I don't want to see my little wolf spiral into the abyss again." She continues, a sad look in her eyes. _She really does care for him, doesn't she. I wonder why?_

I think about her offer again, I'd effectively be Chaos' champion as she explained it. _'To be more powerful than the Olympians'_ she said. _But what kind of trouble would that create in the future? Jupiter isn't known for his rational thinking when he thinks there's a threat to his power. What would Percy do?_

Chaos starts to tap her foot as I think over her proposal for probably the hundredth time since she first offered it to me. _Maybe I can negotiate it a little._

"You want to negotiate my offer. Why does no one want to accept my offer?" Chaos huffs, crossing her arms in annoyance. But I can see the flicker of a smirk as she looks away. _She wanted this._

"So how would you like to negotiate?" She asks after a couple of seconds, interest glowing in her black and white eyes. _That's an excellent question._

"I don't want to be as powerful as the Olympians. I don't even want to be as powerful as the minor Gods. I just want to be strong enough to protect Rome and it's people, and I'm not leaving New Rome or Percy behind when this is all done." I say, watching the grin grow wider to reveal blindingly bright teeth. _Gods, they're worse than Apollo's._

I squint my eyes slightly at the blinding teeth, wishing that I could move my hands to block them out.

"You two make quite the pair you know. You both have strong unbreakable wills, the desire to protect all at the cost of yourselves. Even now, you're only in this situation because you came to the aid of a fellow Legionary when most would have run." Chaos explains, pointing towards the Principia. I follow her finger and spot the limping Legionary frozen mid limp as he is being helped along.

"It was a reflex. My body just moved." I tell her, watching as she mouths along the words.

"I know, and that's what makes you a genuine Hero. Like Percy and your friends, you all stand up when others don't. That's what makes you guys so unique, a once in a millennium occurrence." Chaos beams, looking positively ecstatic. _Huh, this must be what she hopes for when she watches us._

"So it would be my honour to grant you the power to defend Rome, Consul." Chaos inclines her head slightly as she crouches down next to me.

"Before we start. How much did Percy tell about when he got his blessing?" She inquires. _That's an odd question._

"Not much really. Only that that's how he got his tattoo." I reply, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Good, good." She mutters to herself, softly taking hold of my hand. _I don't like this._

"This might sting a little bit and to make sure you don't pass out, _which might happen_ , I'm going to have to do something which will make you feel a bit nauseous." She warns, her voice barely constraining the unfathomable power she holds as waves of it start to roll off of her. I look into her eyes, which are burning with power. _Yep, this was a bad idea._

The pain is instant and mind shattering, but I can't bring myself to scream. Black dots explode across my vision as I struggle take a breath. _Percy went through this? He might have mentioned it._

But as much as the pain consumes me, I don't lose consciousness. _Just like she promised. At least Percy got to black out._

After what could have been hours, but was probably about ten seconds, the pain stops. My vision continues to flash black for a second or two, but that also recedes.

I slowly even out my breathing as I look back over to Chaos, who is too busy examining my arm. _What's she looking at?_

I try and sit up so that I can look at my arm, only to be hastily reminded that I can't move. _Bloody time stop bullshit._

"Interesting, not the abilities I was expecting. But they'll do." Chaos nods thoughtfully, I can't decide if her tone is positive or negative as she lets her statement hang in the air for a second.

"Much like the Hunters of Artemis, your speed, strength and endurance have been greatly improved. I don't know if even Percy will be able to keep up with you anymore." She grins to herself pulling at the armour at my shoulder and taking a peek under it. _This seems a bit intrusive._

"Hmm, as you are a daughter of war it seems that you will be able to summon weapons and armour, your battle senses and strategic thinking have also been sharpened." She continues, looking a little unimpressed. _Was she expecting me to have abilities like Percy or something?_

"Here it is!" She exclaims suddenly, startling me.

"But, where's the fun in telling you everything." Winking at me, Chaos climbs to her feet and pulls a pocket watch out of thin air.

"Well this second has lasted long enough, don't you think little Crow?" She inquires, looking down with a raised eyebrow. _She's really not going to tell me? Are you serious._

"Remember, you've got sword to your throat." She unhelpfully reminds me. _Does she really think I could have forgotten that?_

"See you around little Crow." Chaos chimes before fading from view, and very slowly things start to move again. _Fuck!_

I put all my might into stopping Bellona's blade from moving the last few centimetres and into my neck, and at a speed I didn't have before my sword comes shooting across and knocks her blade to the side. _Thank fucking Chaos for that._

I quickly roll away from Bellona and back onto my feet. Bellona eyes me suspiciously, looking between her blade and me with slight confusion.

Hoping to exploit her confused state, I lunge at her, closing the distance much faster than I thought I would and nearly tackle her instead. _Bloody blessing._

Unfortunately she retains her composure and dances away from all my strikes, before retaliating with brutal ferocity. Even with my ability boost I'm struggling to keep up, my movements are too jittery and too exaggerated and uncoordinated. _I should have accepted sooner, so that I had time to acclimatise to these abilities._

I can already feel my energy levels beginning to drain faster than I would like to admit. _How did Percy deal with this? He seemed to be able to use all of his from the get go._

Bellona flies towards me again, aiming for my throat, arms and legs. I keep her from slicing through my jugular, but she slices through my wrist and comes very close to severing my Achilles' tendon as she cuts my ankle. _Has she got faster?_

I duck under a swipe with her shield and jab at her stomach, only to find my blade bouncing harmlessly off of her armour. _That not what you want to see._

I dive out of the way of a slash with her blade and as I'm rolling to my feet I bend over backwards to avoid her second Pilum.

"Somethings changed with you." Bellona accuses, stalking slowly towards me with a predatory glint in her eyes.

"You even smell different to how you smelt a few minutes ago. What happened?" She demands twirling her blade. But before I can answer her, her head snaps to the side as if she is listening to something.

"What!" She screams, shaking the ground beneath my feet and causing a few little explosions around herself. _This can't be good._

"Fine, but you owe me her their lives." She growls turning her attention back to me.

"Well, it would seem that I am needed elsewhere." Rage evident as she turns away and starts to walk away. _Did I actually survive._

I allow a brief moment joy to breakthrough me as my chances of seeing Percy just skyrocketed.

"Oh, but one thing." Bellona calls over her shoulder in a cold voice that chills my very soul.

"Here's a little parting gift till I see you next _dear daughter_." Turning around she points her sword at the Principia with the sadistic grin I know all to well plastered across her face. _Oh Gods no!_

"Say goodbye to your precious Legion." She laughs. The tip of her blade begins to glow a horrid black, white and red. I go to tackle her, but pain shoots up my leg the moment I take a step and it brings me to my knees. _Did she cut deeper than I thought?_

"No, don't do it!" I plead, holding out hope that she retained any maternal feelings for her child. But all she does is glance down at me and smile wider before firing the mass of destructive power at the Principia. _Please Gods no!_

All I can do is watch as the orb of power shoots towards the struggling Legion.

"Till we meet again _child of mine_." She spits, disappearing in a swirl of black as the orb hits the Principia and detonates like a Hydrogen bomb.

The shockwave nocks me flat of my back and destroys hundred of the surrounding monsters, as well as sending the enemy Demigods flying. _This can't be happening._

Slowly I sit up and look at the destruction before me. The Legion is in tatters, scorched black bodies are thrown everywhere. I can spot one Legionary holding his left arm in his right hand and watch as he tries to connect it back to his shoulder.

I let out a cry of despair as I force myself to my feet and stumble toward the burning wreck of the Principia.

 _Please say at least some of them have survived._

 **(Gwen POV)**

Watching Thalia comfort Riley really helped to boost my spirits for the coming fight. _If only a little._

I breathed a sigh of relief when Thalia told us that Reyna had stationed us at the top of the towers rather than along the walls with the Legion. _The higher we are the less danger we're going to be in, right?_

So Thalia split us down into two groups of ten and sent us to the two different towers. Thankfully Riley and Jenna are both in my group and Roxy is in Thalia's group, on the other tower. _She starting to scare me a little. It really feels like she's planning something horrible._

But I pushed the thought from my head and climbed the tower with the others in my group, starting to mentally pump myself up for the fight. _It can't be that bad, can it?_

But the mass of monsters that I see beyond the wall terrifies me to my core, and for the first time since Percy saved me I couldn't move. _No! There's no time to be freezing up._

So from atop our tower we rained arrows down on the enemy, with a few Roman archers aiding us. But within minutes they were soon shot down or injured. One poor guy got shot in the shoulder, but it hit him with enough force to spin him around and send him over the edge of the tower and I could only watch as he disappears under the black wave that is the enemy.

I lean over the edge and loose two arrows in quick succession, watching as they disappear into the enemies ranks before spinning out of the way of an arrow and taking cover again. _We're barely making a dent. This isn't a war, this is going to be a massacre._

"Arianna, watch out!" I hear one of the girls shout behind me. I turn around just in time to see Jenna pull an Amazonian looking girl out of the way of an arrow and then watch in awe as she slices it out of the air with one her knives. _Sweet Artemis, she's amazing!_

"Are you alright?" Jenna asked Arianna, checking her over for injuries.

"Yea, I'm fine. Thanks to you." Arianna breathes, looking a little shell shocked as she sits down to regain her bearings. _I still can't believe that Jenna is blind._

I do a quick scan of all the girls around me, thankful that all of them are still unhurt. I spot Riley taking a peak over over the wall, and watch as her face pales. _She must be absolutely terrified._

I leopard crawl over to her as she sinks to her knees and place a hand on her shoulder, which makes her jump a little. She turns her watery eyes to me and offers a forced smile.

"Are you scared?" I inquire, ducking slightly as an arrow whizzes over my head. Riley shakes her head as she quickly wipes the tears from her eyes.

"That's good, because I'm terrified. Do you think you can be brave enough for the two of us?" I ask, offering a small smile. Riley's eyes widen a fraction further, but she takes a slow breath and nods for me. _That's my girl._

A door in the floor bursts open and reveals a Legionary carrying a barrel full of arrows up some stairs. _Good, we were beginning to run low._

The Legionary drops the barrel down and turns back towards the door at a jog.

"When will we get another load?" I call after him, making him stop and turn towards me. His face is pale beneath his helmet, with dark rings around his tired eyes.

"I'm afraid that's it for now ma'am. They've landed on the walls and are pushing us back. The Consul has ordered the tower doors be sealed so that the monsters can't take the towers." He sighs, looking very tired.

"A couple of Legionaries will be stationed by the doors incase the doors are breached, and I can try maybe one more restock. But with the lines shifting so much, I can't guarantee anything. It might even be easier if one of you drops a line and pulls up the barrel." He informs me, looking a little thoughtful. _It's not a bad idea._

"Alright, shout up when you're there and one of us will drop some rope." I tell him. He nods and drops down the stairs, closing the door behind him.

"Did everyone hear that?" I shout to the Hunters and I get a ripple of yes's in response. _Good._

I turn my attention back to shooting at the Monsters and Demigods in black. I take a quick glance down to the wall below and see that a small group of Romans have been cut off from the rest of the Legion.

I grab a freckled girl named Tanya and Riley and direct them to the enemies on the wall.

"We need to help those Legionaries." I tell them. All of us begin to pick off as many Monsters and Demigods as we can to try and help.

When they try and make a break for it, I cant help but admire their bravery and determination. _So many would have faltered and given up in their position._

It doesn't take long for their suicidal charge to become just that. Their fighting is flawless, but they are being swarmed by enemies. _They're all going to die._

Then something unexpected happens. The shadows explode and start to writhe around. _Who in the world is doing that?_

I notice Riley stop for a second as a look of glee crosses her face. _Why's she so happy?_

"That's my brother. I can feel him, his power." She smiles. _That's the famous Lieutenant of Hades I've heard about. That's a stupid amount of power._

A few more Legionaries fall, but most of them manage to get away down a path made of shadow. I let out a small sigh as I see them run towards the rest of the Legion.

"Girls, we may have a problem." A girl called Amber calls out. I turn towards her and follow her gaze over the wall. _The Hades is that?_

A hulking machine is crossing a rickety looking bridge. It is being pushed by six extremely large looking Cyclops', wearing very heavy looking armour. _Is that a battering ram? How is that even crossing that bridge?_

I take a test shot at the lead Cyclops and watch as my arrow bounces harmlessly off of the armour at its neck, the Cyclops doesn't even flinch. _Well that's not good. We need to get off of this tower._

In a crouch I run over to Jenna who is taking a shot over the edge with out even looking. _I wish I could do that._

"Jenna." I say, taking a knee next to her.

"What's up?" She asks without looking at me.

"Don't you think we should get off of this tower and fall back with the rest." I query, watching the thoughtful expression cross her face.

"No I don't think so. We're in a defendable position, and in all honesty I really don't think they care enough about the ones we're killing. But have one of the girls go down a few of the stairs, so if they do come through we'll know about it." Jenna all but orders. I can't help but grin at the young girl. _She's one of the newest Hunters here and she talks like she's been around forever. Can't doubt her battle senses though._

I quickly tell Arianna to go down the stairs and to tell us if anyone comes through the doors and gets past the Legionaries stationed inside. _But in all honesty, I don't see us winning this fight._

(Line Break)

When the wall came down, the whole tower shook and I was really worried that the whole thing would come slamming down. _It didn't, but you worry about these things in the moment._

That Legionary kept his word and turned up at the base of the tower with a huge barrel. We quickly lowered a rope to him and he tied the end to the barrel, but as we were pulling it up he got spotted.

We had a spattering of arrows and the restock wouldn't make it in time. He saw me leaning over the edge to take a shot but shouted up to me to stop.

"Save it." He called out, slowly taking off his helmet.

"It's not like you'll be able to hold them all off anyway. It's been an honour ma'am." He grins, turning to face his approaching death.

"Non desistas non exieris!" He roars, drawing his Gladius and charging at the enemy.

"Never give up, never surrender." Jenna mutters to herself. _Is that what he said?_

I turn away from him cutting his way to his death and focus solely on pulling up the barrel of arrows. _What a stupidly brave idiot._

But Jenna was right. The enemy forces just swept past us with very little interest. Only a few Monsters sniffed us out and came looking and Arianna told us that they had breached one of the lower doors. But no one came to the top of the stairs. _I suppose the Legionaries dealt with them all._

We decide to conserve the last of our arrows and have a small team meeting about what to do next.

"We can't just stay up here. What if they make it to the temples? Apart from the remaining wolves, our sisters are completely undefended." A tall girl called Olivia asks, pushing her curly hair out of her eyes.

"But we can't just walk out there. We'll be torn to shreds in seconds." A blonde called Jane reasons, glancing over the wall. _She's right._

"Then what do you suggest?" Olivia snaps at the blonde.

"I don't know, but I do know that dying won't help anybody." Jane shoots back coolly.

"Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere." Jenna cuts in before Olivia can make a retort, and before anyone else can say anything an arrow lands in the centre of the group.

We just kind of stare at it, confused as to why one of our arrow was shot at us.

"What's that?" Riley's small voice asks pointing at a small piece of paper attached to the arrow. _That's interesting._

Gingerly I reach forward and pull the piece of paper from the arrow. I unfold the letter and start to read aloud.

"Girls, you'd all better still be alive. Anyway, I don't know what you're planning and as things stand we won't be able to meet up anytime soon. So we're going to take the Legionaries stationed with us and make a dash for the temples, I can imagine you guys want to do the same but you're on the wrong side of the river so to speak. I don't know if you guys are still in your tower, but remember, whatever your plan is. Keep each other safe, I plan on seeing you all when this is over. Thalia." I finish, struggling slightly to read the small messy text. _How did they make that shot?_

I look back up at the girls around me and try and form and semblance of an idea of what to do. But nothing is coming to mind at all. I turn to a young looking girl to my left called Cassandra, who also happens to be the oldest Hunter here.

"What do you think we should do?" I ask her, turning everyone's attention to her. She looks a little surprised that I asked her, but doesn't hesitate at answering.

"As you all know, I am much more partial to the hunting and tracking of Monsters rather than fighting like this. However, I am left with one idea." She grins dangerously stripping off her silver parka.

"Why don't we treat this like an extreme hunt?" She suggests, tapping her vest once and turning it and her trousers black. _I completely forgot she's one of Aphrodite's daughter._

"I don't follow." Olivia snaps, looking annoyed and confused.

"Guerrilla warfare. We strike from the shadows in a blitz, kill as many as we can and then disappear into the darkness. We do this as many times as necessary or until we can't." She follows up, calm as anything. _That's actually a good idea._

I can see all the girls agreeing just like I am and it feels good to actually have a plan and something to do.

"Well are you going to change all our clothes black or not?" Jenna grins, pulling off her parka as well. _How did she even know? I'm going to need to have a sit down with her one of these days._

It takes less than a minute for Cassandra to turn all our clothes black, and by the end of it she's looking a little winded. _Now this won't hide us, but we will be more difficult to see._

"Alright, lets go hunting." Cassandra whispers, a vicious smile spreading across her face. I see similar smiles on the other girls faces, but notice that Riley is still looking frightened.

"We'll be fine. Just stick close to us." Jenna whispers before I can say anything, which earns us a small flicker of a smile. _She's good at this. Better than me anyway._

(Line Break)

We dish out the rest of the arrows and begin our descent down the tower, and we are met with a horrifying sight. The ten or so Legionaries that we're stationed at the entrances have been decimated.

Gore covers the walls as the telltale smell of death hangs in the air. Dozens of piles of gold dust are at each entrance, proving that more than just a few monsters had come our way. _Why didn't they ask for help?_

As I am about to berate them for being stupid, I notice a young looking boy with a grin on his face. I quickly look around and notice that all the others are grinning as well. _They're proud of their sacrifice, you can't be serious?_

I mutter a quick prayer for these stupidly brave Legionaries and follow the rest of the girls outside. _There's a strong presence here. Is it a God? But only the new minor Gods can interfere, but I didn't notice them arrive._

Dread starts to pool in my stomach as the presences power grows stronger, which is never a good indication in my experience.

And as we make it about ten meters from the towers door I feel it. A cold, menacing power washes over us and makes me involuntarily shiver. _What is this?_

Trying to shake off the feeling I turn in the direction I think it is coming from, and through the masses of enemies between me and the Principia I see her. On her knees and pleading with someone, Reyna looks positively terrified. _I thought Reyna didn't get scared, or didn't show it if she was._

I watch as the person that Reyna is pleading with launches a huge ball of energy at the Principia. Realising what's about to happen, I grab Riley and dive behind a boulder that must have been launched by one of their catapults.

For a split second nothing happens, and then the explosion goes off. The roar of the explosion is so loud that It feel like I might go deaf. _How must it feel to be up close to that?_

The shockwave hits a second later and I can just about hear the deep crack of the boulder we're hiding behind. _What the fuck was that?_

After the ringing in my ears dies down, I unwrap myself from Riley and haul myself to my feet and take a look at the carnage.

The Principia is in flames, Demigod bodies from both sides are scattered every and the Monsters that weren't instantly destroyed are struggling back to their feet. _We've as good as lost this. We should make a run for Camp Half-Blood._

I turn back to find Reyna and over the ringing and burning and screaming I hear a wail so filled pain and suffering that I can't imagine it being anyone else. _Poor Reyna._

I pull Riley to her feet and go about helping the rest of the girls to their feet. I'm pulling Jenna to her feet when I spot a bright light from one of the walls. _Is it Thalia?_

"What's that?" I ask, pointing to the growing light. All but one of the girls turn towards the light. _You don't really have to guess who's not looking._

"A beacon?" Someone suggests.

"Something that got set on fire from the blast?" Someone else chimes in. But it looks a bit to far away to have been that, and it's not really big enough to be a beacon.

"It feels warm." Riley sighs, looking at the flame with longing.

"That's because we all know who's flames they are." Jenna smile softly as she checks her bow over. _What does she mean?_

As if sensing my question, Jenna turns her black eyes to me and the girls who are muttering about what she said.

"Why it's Percy Jackson." She grins, pulling an arrow out, spinning around and driving it through a Hellhounds eye.

 _Huh, we might just survive this yet._

 _ **A/N: I'm so sorry for how long this took me to upload. I have been absolutely rammed at my College doing my final project. So here's the chapter I hope you enjoyed it, and I am sorry for the mass of spelling and grammar mistakes that are probably all over the place, this was done on an iPad.**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO series, Rick does.**

 **(Alice POV)**

I'm shaken awake by the ground rumbling beneath me and pain immediately engulfs me. _What in the sweet name of Lupa happened?_

I try and sit up, but find that I cannot sit up properly. I look down and see a large bit of timber sticking out of my gut. _Well that's not good._

Gently I probe the piece of wood, flinching as I slightly shift it to the side. _This is really going to hurt._

I take a deep breath to steady myself as I grab the shaft of wood sticking out of me. _This is going to really fucking hurt._

"You can do this. Don't be a coward." I mutter through gritted teeth. Then in one quick movement I pull the wood from my stomach, a small whine escapes my lips as I hold back a scream.

Black dots dance across my eyes as the darkness of unconsciousness beckons to me again. _This is not the time to be sleeping on the job._

Slowly I tear strips from my cloak and tie them around my stomach and over the gapping hole, wincing as I tie the knot tight. _Right, let's see what the situation is._

Painfully slowly I pull myself to my feet, already feeling my blood soak through the cloaks fabric. I clamp a hand over the wound as I survey the area around me. _What could have caused this?_

The Principia is in absolute ruin and countless Legionaries are dead or wounded. I can see a few tired looking Legionaries darting around, going body to body and checking if they are alive. They must be the Medics. _Crazy bastards._

I slowly limp towards the nearest Medic, who is crouched over a large looking Legionary and I try and block out the screams of despair. Her hands are moving in a blur as he tries to save the guy, who looks like he is missing part of his leg. _Poor guy probably won't be able to fight again._

"How's he doing?" I ask, making the Medic jump about six feet in the air. She turns to me with a panicked look in her eyes, pointing a small dagger at me. _She must be fairly new._

When she recognises me, she visible relaxes as she turns back to her patient.

"Not great. His lower left leg has been ripped off, a few deep lacerations, broken ribs and probably a concussion." She rattles off as she ties a tourniquet above the left knee.

"I've already given him as much Ambrosia and Nectar as his body can take, and I've already given him a dangerous amount of Morphine. We need to get him back to the Medicus for treatment, or he'll die." She continues, bandaging the bloody stump of a leg and clipping on a neck brace. _Where she pulled that from I have no idea._

"Do you think you co… Holy shit, what happened to you?" She gasps, noticing my bloody side for the first time.

"I kind of got impaled by a piece of wood." I try and shrug, but pain roars from the wound and brings me down to a knee. In a flash the Medic is next to me an already untying the messy bandage and peering at the wound.

"How're you walking?" She breathes, gingerly touching the skin around the wound, which sends bolt of pain through my chest.

"Sheer force of will?" I offer, earning myself a glare in response. _That's probably not what she was looking for._

"Without properly examining this I can't be sure, but the piece of wood could have hit some of your internal organs, which could be causing some major internal bleeding." She explains quickly, not even stopping to take a breath.

"You probably also have a few fractured if not broken ribs and the wound is covered in splinters. This is going to be a bitch to fix up." She states finally looking me in the eye, her honey coloured eyes conveying the seriousness very clearly. _That's quite the intimidating glare for a Medic that can't be much older than 14._

"Well, I leave myself in your capable hands. What's your name?" I smirk, watching her roll her eyes as she checks on the Legionary on the ground muttering Angela. But the seriousness of the whole situation hits me again and I look around again.

The Monsters and rouge Demigods seem to have backed off a bit after the explosion, which must have decimated their ranks as much as ours. _Hopefully._

"What state is the Legion in?" I ask suddenly, probably surprising her a little bit. But she doesn't look up from the unconscious boy.

"I really don't know. That Nico boy saved all of us in the Medicus by creating a dome made of shadows, which looked like it took a lot out of him as he got even paler before he staggered away." She starts as she builds a small sled to drag the large Legionary with. _Thank the Gods Nico was there. But why was he there in the first place? Was he injured?_

"When the dome came down, there were just bodies everywhere. All of us that were able ran out and tried to help, but so many were already so far beyond help. So all we could do was make them comfortable as they died." She chokes up a little bit as she tells her tale and wipes at some tears before they can properly form. _That always struck me as the worst bit about being a medic._

"I saw a few from the 1st Cohort trying to reorganise themselves, and maybe some from the 5th. But I really don't know how many of us are left." She finishes, barely keeping her voice together now. _How could one strike do so much damage? Who could have done this?_

"Ok, well let's get back to the Medicus and I'll try and coordinate with the remaining Centurions and Reyna if she's still with us." I decide, forcing myself back to my feet with a small grunt. Angela finishes up making her sled, which is really just a large piece of fabric she found, some spear shafts and rope.

Gently she pulls the wounded Legionary onto the sled and we start to make our way towards the Medicus. _How long will the Monsters and Demigods stay back?_

 **(Line Break)**

It takes ten minutes longer than it should have to get back to the Medicus. _But seeing as I have a hole the size of plate in my side and Angela is pulling a Legionary twice her size, I feel like we made good time._

The Medicus is in a state of madness. Medics are running around everywhere, trying to treat a dozen wounded each. _It's remarkable that none of them have run into each other yet._

A small group of no more than thirty Legionaries are standing guard at the entrance; they look beaten and tired but alert and ready to fight.

As I walk past they salute, but it's a half hearted attempt and I can't really blame them. _I'd be in no mood to salute rank in this situation either._

I spot what looks like the head Medic and begin to make my way towards him. But Angela quickly grabs my wrist and pulls me to a stop.

"Where do you think you're going?" Almost sounding like a mother, she freezes me where I stand.

"To talk with that guy." I point toward the important looking Medic, but she doesn't even look.

"No. I don't care if you're Praetor, you need medical attention before you do anything else." She states, dragging me towards a free bed.

"But I ne-"

"No buts. You'll probably die if you don't get treated." She cuts me off, sitting me down on the bed.

"Can you at least ask if there is a command post being set up?" I plead. She looks at me thoughtfully for a second, before sighing and grabbing a runner, as he's shooting past.

"Can you ask Stone if there is a command post being set up please?" She asks, sounding a little annoyed. The boy only nods before sprinting off. _She's quite scary for a little girl._

Turning her full attention back to my and my injuries Angela takes a step towards me and snatches a tray of equipment from a trolley being wheeled past.

"You're going to have to take off your armour and top." She says, pulling on some rubber gloves. _Like that'll be easy._

"Slow down there girlie, we haven't even been on a date yet." I smirk, but only earn myself a glare. But as I try and take off my armour, pain explodes through my side.

Noticing my expression, Angela sighs and helps take off my armour and just cuts through my top. _I guess that works to._

Then she really gets to work on my puncture wound, which is still pouring blood at an alarming rate. _How haven't I died yet? Or at least blacked out?_

"Did the piece of wood go straight through you?" She asks, pulling splinters from the wound.

"No, I actually pulled it out." I wince as she pokes at the injury. Angela looks up at me with an incredulous expression, hands falling still for a second.

"You're kidding right. You actually pulled it out, didn't you take a first aid course in the Legion?" She almost yells. _Is she going to scold me? Can she do that?_

"That was like six years ago, I can't exactly remember it all." I grin, which only turns her expression of bewilderment into a glare. _Maybe I should be a little more serious about this._

"You could have caused so much more damage to yourself than necessary, I can't believe how unbelievably stupid you are." She quietly rages at me, her eyes burning a hole through my head. _Gods, she'll be frightening in a few years._

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't move at all with it sticking out of me. So rather than be pinned to the floor like a sitting duck, I decided to pull it out and make my way over to you." I explain a little timidly. Her expression remains hostile for a second before softening as she turns her attention back to my apparently life threatening wound.

The runner that Angela sent off comes skidding to a halt next to us and kneels down. _How's this kid still going?_

"The command post is being set up behind the Medicus. Currently Ken and Sam from the 5th are trying to get things back in order." He informs us before standing back up and running off in another direction. _Ok, at least we have some form of leadership in place. Where are the rest of the Centurions? Did the Centurai Percy take even survive?_

 **(Percy POV)**

I cut my way through what feels like a thousand Monsters and enemy Demigods, but they just keep on coming at me in an unending wave. _How many of them are my friends?_

I cut down another Demigod, briefly spotting a Legion tattoo on his wrist. A pang of guilt hits me, but I don't have time to dwell on the feeling as an axe comes flying towards my face.

I duck under the strike, point Cyclone at the Faun and shoot a column of fire at it whilst I block a strike to my right with Riptide. _How long have I been invoked? I should really have checked the time before I jumped in._

The column of fire is a lot more devastating when I am invoked. It goes for about 100 meters and gouges a massive chunk out of the ground. _It's still not enough, there are way too many enemies._

I spin around and slash at an Empousa's throat, reducing her to nothing but dust. I reach out to the Little Tiber and pull the water to me with little effort. _Finally letting me control you, you stubborn river._

I bring the water crashing down on top of me and all the monsters and Demigods around me, washing them away in an instant. _Lets give myself a little breathing room._

I will the water to make a ring around me, giving me about five meters in every direction. I spin in a slow circle, taking in everything around me. _How are there still so many?_

The Principia is still in flames, and I can't see any of the Legion anymore. The only up at the moment seems to be the fact that what ever that explosion was, it has slowed down the enemy assault. _I hope that whoever is left is falling back, and I pray that the Hunters are ok._

I'm about to explode my ring of water out when I hear a faint but oh so familiar whistling. _It's one of the Hunters shrieking arrows._

Quickly I sheath Cyclone, click my watch into a shield and hastily crouch down under it. I hear the faint murmur of confusion around me, until the whistling becomes more noticeable. _It's too late to notice now._

Before anyone can even move, the shrieking arrow connects with my shield. _Cheeky Devil was aiming for me._

It is quickly followed by a storm of silver arrows, which lay waste to all the monsters around me. The arrows are quickly followed by a violent barrage of lightning strikes that disperse the surviving Monsters and Demigods. _At least I know Thalia is still alive._

When everything dies down, I come out from behind my shield and look to my left where I can hear the faint footfalls of the Hunters. _How can I even hear them?_

After a few seconds, a small group of Hunters and half a dozen Legionaries emerges from the darkness. They look a little bloody and beaten, but ready to fight none the less. _Where are Jenna and Riley? Or even Gwen? Please don't let them be dead._

I spot Thalia at the lead, grinning like a maniac as she eyes the arrows stuck in my shield. _She's the one that shot the shrieking arrow, I definitely could have put all my money on that._

"How's it going Thalia?" I call out as I walk over to them, not missing the glare that Roxy is giving me.

"You know you're on fire right." Sophia blurts out, sounding a little worried as she cuts off Thalia's response.

"Yea, that's kind of an interesting story. Where are the rest of you?" I ask, trying to divert the conversation away from my ability as a Champion.

"We got separated when the wall fell, but I'm sure that they are all fine." Thalia responds, giving me a knowing look. Internally I let out a sigh and relax slightly. _Thank the Gods._

"Where are you guys headed anyway?" I ask, throwing a quick look at what's left of the Principia. The need to go looking for Reyna growing. _I hope that she's ok._

"We're headed towards the Temples. We're going to try and move the wounded into the City." She states, eyeing the hill behind me. _That's a good idea, but where are they going to move them._

An idea hits me and I start to search my pockets.

"Why don't you take them to my house, it's two to the right of Reyna's. Its not as big as her house, but it should fit you all." I suggest, holding out the front door key. _Gratitude flashes in her eyes as she takes the key and pockets it._

"Where are you going?" She quickly asks as I begin to turn away. _I feel like there's an obvious answer to this question._

"To see how things are over there." I say, pointing in the direction of the fire.

"Be safe." She nods offering me good luck before jogging off in the direction on the Temples.

Sophia gives me a small wave as she passes, but it is Roxy's glare that set me on edge. There is a darkness behind it that is far too dangerous. _Something's up with her._

But I don't have time to focus on a man-hating Huntress. I turn my attention back to the Principia and start to run towards it. _So much for four years to fully prepare._

 **(Line Break)**

It takes me less than thirty seconds to run to the Principia with my newfound speed, and I guess it helps that there were no enemies in my way. _How far have they fallen back? Maybe they went home._

My question is quickly answered when I see a small skirmish taking place off to my right. What looks like a dozen Romans are taking on a group of armoured Cyclops', and it looks like they are losing. _Where the Hades did they get armour that fit them?_

I quickly move over to the fight and launch myself at the nearest Cyclops. _Let's test that armour of yours._

Spinning around in mid air, I cleave a flaming Riptide through the armour at the Cyclops neck and send its head rolling before it crumbles to dust. _I guess it's not that great._

"Who you?" One of the other Cyclops' asks, his eye wide with fear. I turn to the Cyclops and grin, which makes it take a step back in fear.

"I'm the protector of this City, so either leave or die. I will not offer this a second time." I snarl, feeling a little satisfaction as I watch the five remaining Cyclops' flinch away. _I don't have enough time for all this, them running away would be really helpful._

But of course there has to be a stupid one in their midst. One of the larger Cyclops' raises its horrifically sharp looking axe and roars before charging at me, closely followed by his buddies. _I hate how stupid Cyclops' can be sometimes._

In a stride I'm next to the lead Cyclops and I punch it the stomach with enough force that its armour shatters, sending most of the shards into its stomach and bringing it to its knees.

Using its kneeling form I use the Cyclops as a step to fly at the second one. I throw Cyclone into the second Cyclops throat, which makes it gurgle for a second before I drive Riptide through the eyehole in its helmet. _Two down, three to go. This feels so much easier than usual, I feel like invoking is cheating._

With two of their comrades slaughtered in a blur, the remaining three stumble to a halt as they slowly revaluate their life choices. _I'm afraid it's too late now._

Letting my instincts take over for a second, I quickly sheath Cyclone and return Riptide to its Pen form. I then clap my hands together whilst filling my palms with power, slowly draw them apart and a golden flaming spear forms between my hands. _That's new._

Without stopping to think about my new ability, I spin the spear around in my hands and slice it through the nearest Cyclops chest like cutting through butter.

Ducking under a wild strike, I drive my spear into the knee of the next Cyclops and before it can even cry out in pain it is engulfed in roaring flames. _Which only leaves one, fairly small Cyclops standing about ten meters away._

Its quivering body and watery eye makes me stop for a second as it reminds me of Tyson for a moment. _I wonder how the big guy is doing? I should really go visit him._

But as I am about to let the Cyclops go, I see something that makes my stomach lurch. Along the back of its belt I see arms. Arms of different sizes and colours, but all with one horrible similarity. The black tattoo that adorns their forearms. _You can't be serious._

The arms had been hacked off at the elbow, attached to some rope and hung from the Cyclops belt as trophies. _How dare they take trophies!_

My flames intensify as I raise my spear and with all the strength I can muster I launch it at the Cyclops. In a flash my spear shoots straight through its chest and off into the distance like a shooting star. _These monsters don't deserve mercy, I'll kill them all._

I hold out my hand and my spear comes streaking back into it, I turn to the Legionnaires who are looking at me in awe.

"Where are all the survivors?" I ask, my voice not sounding like my own. They all kneel to me before one of them answers.

"They are all at the Medicus Praetorian." The Legionary at the front replies, his head bowed. _Why are they kneeling to me?_

"Stand up." I half order, the fact that they are kneeling starting to annoy me.

"How many confirmed dead are there?" I query as we begin to make our way to the Medicus.

"At the moment there are a confirmed 200 wounded and 1000 dead or missing." The same Legionary responds as they fall into step behind me. That many have been lost, that's almost half the Legion. _I should have been here._

"Did you see what caused the explosion?" I ask, picking up the pace a little. _How much time do I have left?_

"No Praetorian. We were in the middle of fighting when all of a sudden we were thrown through the air, the Principia was gone and scores were dead. Apparently Nico di Angelo erected a barrier around the Medicus, which saved all those inside, and there are rumours that the Consul was fighting a powerful being before the explosion. That is all I know." He finishes. _Thank the Gods Nico came and please by all that is good, let Reyna be ok._

"Thank you. Now lets get back to the Medicus." I order, earning a 'Yes Sir' in reply. _Weren't most of these guys ready to kill me the other day?_

It takes a few minutes longer than I'd care to admit to reach the Medicus, but I really didn't want to lose the Legionaries in the darkness and smoke. _We don't need any more unnecessary casualties today._

It's fair to say that when we arrive at the Medicus I get some mixed reactions. Half of the Legionaries that are guarding the Medicus look terrified, while the rest look like they're ready to start worshipping me. _This is not going to go down well._

"Where is the Command Post?" I ask the group. Those who look scared flinch away at the sound of my voice, while one of the others immediately answers my question.

"It is to the rear of the Medicus Praetorian. Praetor Williams is in charge at the moment, but Consul Ramírez-Arellano has just arrived. So I'd assume she will be taking charge." A girl tells me, a sparkle in her eyes. _Which might very well be due to the fire I'm giving off._

I nod in response and turn to the Legionary that I initially spoke to.

"You guys join the guard, set a line at about fifty meters. I know you'll be stretched thin, but find anyone that is able and get them to help you." I tell him. He vigorously nods his head as I turn away and make my way into the Medicus.

Heads immediately snap over to me as I enter the Medicus, medics and wounded alike pause as their eyes widen. _Yea, this definitely isn't going to go down well._

"Messorem de Roma." Begins to be whispered throughout the room. _What does that even mean?_

I stride through the room aiming for the back when I spot a familiar face. _Will?_

Will is sat in a chair with his shoulder bandaged, but he is looking a bit too bad for an arrow to the shoulder.

"Hey Will, how's it going?" I ask quietly, crouching down in front of him. His usual tanned complexion is pale and sallow, with dark rings around his eyes. _What the fuck happened to him?_

Will opens his eyes with what looks like a lot of effort and his eyes struggle to focus on me, but he smiles when he sees me.

"You are aware you're on fire right?" He laughs, but it comes out hollow and breathless.

"Yes, so I've been told." I grin back, but the worry is building in my head. _He shouldn't be in a state as bad as this._

"Percy I have to tell you…" He pauses for a second to catch his breath.

"Their arrows and weapons are coated in some kind of poison or magic that degrades the victim. Sepsis and gangrene set in very quickly. I don't even think Apollo could cure this easily." He finishes weakly. _Well that's not fucking good._

"Well shit, we could really do with some Godly intervention right about now." I laugh, only half joking. _Why hasn't anyone turned up like at Camp Half-Blood?_

"Yea, that would be nice." He coughs. _He really needs help._

"Ok, well I need you to stay with us until I finish this fight. Then I'm going to find a way to fix you up, deal?" I ask him, earning a flicker of a smile.

"Deal." He whispers, his eyes already fluttering shut. I place a hand on his shoulder and send a pulse of calming healing power through his body. _He doesn't look any better, but his breathing does get easier. I can't let him die._

I get to my feet and continue towards the back of the Medicus, where I am pretty sure a pretty big office is located. The whispers of 'Messorem de Roma' continue as I walk past. _The whispering is starting to freak me out._

I walk into the office and find a bunch of beaten Romans standing around a table, and when I spot one of the people that I have been looking for. _I could collapse with relief. She's alive._

 _"Took you long enough to join the party."_ Midnight pipes up, uncurling herself and appearing from under the table.

 _"Well, I had a little trouble with the crowd outside. Something about not having a ticket or something."_ I grin back, earning a small laugh in response. I pet Midnight on the head as she circles my feat and heads back towards Reyna, who looks up when she hears Midnight walking around.

"Percy." She breaths, turning everyone's attention to me as only a minimal amount of stress leaves her face. She looks like she's been beaten by Heracles, but apart from a dozen cuts or so, she looks alright. _Thank the Gods._

"In the flesh, and yes I am aware that I am on fire." I state, cutting off what could have been a hundred questions from everyone else, catching a sliver of a smile growing on Reyna's face.

But the smile quickly disappears and her expression drops again, as I see the same broken look I once saw in my eyes in hers. _She's almost at her breaking point._

I quickly move around the room and take my place next to Reyna and look down at the table, where they have a map spread out with rough battle lines. _We're way too close to the Cities boundary._

"So what's the plan?" I ask Reyna.

"Currently we are trying to find any survivors from the blast so that we can set up a proper defensive line while the enemy has fallen back. I've sent about twenty from the 2nd to begin evacuating the City over the Berkeley Hills, and I've sent Hannibal's current rider and the Eagle master to bring them out to join the fight." She pauses for a second as she scans the map as she fiddles with her shorter braid. _I still haven't asked why she cut her hair short._

"We will then transport the wounded back to within the boundaries of the City. The Circus Maximus should do as a makeshift Med Centre, and should easily accommodate the number of wounded." She says, pointing at the building on the map. There's something wrong with her voice. _There's a slight tremor and her tone is off._

"We will need to prioritise the wounded for transport, taking the most critically wounded first." She takes a breath, and I can see the stress eating away at her. I push a calming wave onto her and watch as some of the stress leaves her. _I have to do anything I can to help her._

"Once everyone has been moved to the City, the rest of the Legion will then fall back to within the Pomerian Line." She finishes, looking around the table and for the first time I take in who's actually here.

Apart from Reyna and myself, Alice is the only Praetor present. I wonder if Dakota is alright? The only representing Centurions that are present are; Alastair from the 1st, Maya from the 2nd, Alex and Natalie from the 3rd, Lauren from the 4th and Sam from the 5th. _I can only assume all the others, bar Ross, are dead._

Reyna quickly dishes out roles and all the Centurions and Alice file out of the room. Now that we are alone Reyna allows herself a moment of weakness as she crumbles into my arms.

"This is all my fault." She sobs, balling her hands into fists. _I'm not sure how that can be true._

"Maybe if I had just agreed to go with her she would have left Rome alone. I'm sure I could have endured whatever she would have put me through." Reyna continues, not making much sense as she begins the shake violently. I wrap my arms around her and will a comforting heat to encompass her, which immediately slows her racing heart. _There's something else at play here. Who's rattled her this much?_

"Who're you talking about?" I ask quietly, not daring to make my voice any louder than it needs to be.

"Bellona. She did all this." She states in a whisper full of despair. _Bellona did this?_

"Are you saying that Bellona is siding with Erebus?" I ask in disbelief. _I know that she doesn't like us, but isn't this a bit extreme even for her?_

She nods against my chest as the claim slams home. _A Goddess has turned against Olympus, how many more have sided with the enemy?_

"Rey, this is not your fault. She would have done all this regardless of whether you joined her or not." I tell her, taking her face in my hands. _Something about her eyes is different._

In her once onyx eyes there are small dots of brilliant white, slowly twirling. _Are those stars? Is that a constellation?_

But for the first time, I can finally see what she's really feeling. No more political mask, just her raw emotions. Her trembling lips, her shaking hands and her heavy breathing. _She's barely holding herself together._

"I don't know if I can do this Percy." Her voice so painfully weak as it wobbles all over the place.

"Rey, I can only barely begin to imagine what you must be feeling. But you are the strongest person I have ever met and your people need you. I'm not telling you to get over it or anything like that, what I'm saying is to hold onto all those feelings of guilt and pain. Never forget them and use them, use them to keep you going." I try and console, not really sure if the words I'm saying are coming out right. _Those are constellations in her eyes._

Noticing my pause, Reyna lightly rests her hands on top of mine and grins. _What's she not telling me?_

"You're right, I can't let their sacrifices be in vain by breaking down here and I guess you've noticed these." She states more than asks, her voice breaking slightly. _She accepted the offer from Chaos._

"You're a Champion now." I whisper, looking around cautiously. _We can't let the Gods know about this yet, there will be literal chaos._

"She came to me whilst I was fighting Bellona." Reyna starts, her voice still barely holding together. _She fought her alone?_

"And when she was about to kill me, time stopped and Chaos appeared with her offer." She continues, my eyes only growing wider. _Why would she interfere so much? What does she stand to gain?_

"Did she give you any conditions or requirements? She can't have just done this for free." I ask, searching her now even more mesmerising eyes for, well, anything.

"No, she just wants to help. But she didn't tell me the full extend of the powers that I have, only that it would be more fun for me to find out." She sighs quietly, annoyance and pain flashing in her eyes. _She's thinking she might have been able to stop Bellona if she knew. But exerting that much power after just receiving her powers would have killed her._

I close my eyes and rest my forehead against hers, relief pouring through me. At least Chaos doesn't want anything from her. _I do wonder what powers she's got now._

"Well all that matter is that we're both ok." I smile, feeling the stress leave her for a second. _We will survive this._

 _"Hey, what about me?"_ Midnight pipes up jokingly, jumping up at us and licking my cheek.

"Yea and you." I laugh, wiping the slobber off of my face. I lean back and wipe the tears from her eyes with a small grin.

"Now let's get back to it." I say, determination filling my voice. She slowly nods, turns to Midnight and looks like she is asking her something.

"Alice, you can come back in." Reyna calls out after a few seconds, and the door immediately opens to reveal Alice. _Has she been there the whole time? How didn't I hear her?_

A little awkwardly she walks in, her fingers fidgeting with the edges of her cloak. Her armour is gone and she's got bandages all around her midsection. _She took a big hit._

"Are you ok?" Alice asks, looking me up and down. _I knew this was coming._

Reyna turns to look at me as well, obviously remembering the last time I was a walking firecracker. I can't blame her for being a little concerned. _I did nearly die last time._

"Yep, this was all intentional. But I think I only have about twenty to thirty minutes of safe time left." I guess. I should probably ask Lauren how long it's been; she might have a better idea.

I see one more moment of concern in Reyna's eyes, but then she slowly blinks and lets out a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean this was intentional? You're a walking inferno." Alice cuts in, sounding confused as to why we're not more concerned about this situation. _I guess she deserves to know now._

"It's to do with me being the Champion of Hestia. I can enter this state which is called invoking, which basically gives me a massive power boost." I vaguely explain to her, disbelief warring with what she can see with her own eyes. _It is a lot to take in the first time I suppose._

"But you look like some kind of Angel. You could even pass for the fucking Messorem de Roma, if it's even real." She sighs as she massages her eyebrows. _There it is again, what the Hades is a Messorem de Roma?_

"That's just a legend that was thought up about two centuries ago Alice. Anyway, Erebus' forces wont stay back forever and you don't have a lot of time left of your invocation. So get out there and find the ones leading this assault and end them." Reyna commands, a ferocious grin growing at the corner of her mouth. _Gods that's a scary smile, but it looks so forced._

But I can't help but feel a slight thrill course through my bones. I pull Reyna into a hug and give her a quick kiss on the cheek, which seems to surprise her out of her depressed state a little.

"Be safe." I whisper to her before letting her go and walking towards the door, noticing that her eyes are still shattered and her hands are still trembling. _I'm going to end this. One way or another, this ends in the next twenty-five minutes. Then I'm going to come back and look after my girl._

 **(Sophia POV)**

Meeting up with Percy lightened the mood of our group somewhat. Thalia's mood has visibly improved. _I guess finding out your cousin is still alive is always going to make you happy._

Our route to the temples is fairly uneventful, we only encounter one small group of monsters that were prowling around.

The monsters weren't hard to deal with, but the most concerning thing was the fact that they were so close to the temples. _I hope none got to the hill._

We quicken our pace to a run as we approach the hill, but the Legionaries slowly begin to fall behind. _Maybe we should slow down for them._

"I'll run with the Legionaries, make sure they get there ok." Roxy suddenly pipes up, being uncharacteristically helpful when there are men in the group. _She's been acting weird lately._

Thalia hesitates for a second, I can see the conflict in her electric blue eyes. She wants to get to her sisters as fast as she can, she's not thinking straight. _There is no way we should leave Roxy with the Legionnaires by herself._

"I'll stay to. Two bows are better than one after all." I rationalise. Thalia flashes me an appreciative smile before nodding and splitting off with the rest of the Hunters.

"I don't need a babysitter sunshine, so run along like the good little lapdog you are." Roxy snarls, pushing past me. The Romans slow their pace and let the gap between us and Roxy grow a little.

"Are you alright?" One of the girls asks, glancing over at Roxy's disappearing form. _I am, but I don't think she is._

"Yea, stress is just getting a bit high is all." I reassure the girl, as we take off after Roxy. _I need to watch out for her._

 **(Line Break)**

We quickly catch up to Roxy who is standing very low and very still with her bow out. _Did she see something?_

I slow down with the Legionnaires and ready my own bow as I sneak towards her, scanning the dark area around us. _I wonder what's got her on alert._

"What is it?" I whisper as I step up next to her, drawing my arrow back to my cheek.

"Oh, there's nothing around us." She replies menacingly, her tone alone sending ice through my veins.

"You see, I've found a way for the Hunt to survive the coming war and it's quite full proof." She continues, slowly turning her bow towards the Legionnaires that are crouched a few meters behind us. _What's she talking about?_

"I've made a deal." She continues, her voice wavering for a second. _She's uncertain about something._

"All I have to do is kill any Romans I come across." She states, her voice firm and a murderous grin on her face.

"And that infuriating male Percy Jackson, if I get the chance." She finishes, madness shinning in her eyes. _She accepted a deal with Erebus, what a stupid girl._

Her aim finally settles on the girl that asked how I was and I spring into action as she releases the string. I pivot and shoot in one motion, knocking Roxy's arrow out of the sky. _She's actually going through with it._

Roxy turns on me with a snarl and lashes out with her knives. I barely avoid getting cut by rolling backwards towards the Legionnaires.

"When did he even offer you this deal?" I ask, trying to buy myself time to think of a way to subdue her. _I really don't want to have to kill her._

"After the Shade attacked us, when we were running to this pathetic city." She reveals, slowly pulling another arrow from her quiver.

"And what guarantee did he give you that we would be spared?" I press, struggling to find an out. _The Romans need to leave._

"His word." She replies, her voice sounding a little weak.

"That's it? His word? Are you an idiot or something?" I cry incredulously. _His word? You've got to be having a fucking laugh._

Roxy falters for a second, her bow half drawn as she thinks over my words. _Now._

"You guys need to back off, right now. Take another route to the temples, one that takes you out of her range." I whisper urgently, and I thank the Gods as they accept the order and begin to back off. _Got to love Roman training._

"Where do you think your all going?" Roxy shouts as the Legionnaires make their move and quickly draws and looses her arrow.

Letting my instincts and centuries of training take over, I draw one of my knives and cut the arrow out of the air. But in a heart shattering instant I see the second arrow hidden behind the first. _When did she shoot the second arrow._

I make a desperate swipe at the second arrow, but I miss it by a breath and can only watch in horror as it penetrates one of the Legionnaires armour and subsequently his chest. _What has she done?_

There's a moment of perfect stillness as we all look at the arrow in the poor guys chest. He looks up at me in disbelief, before flashing a small unsure grin at me.

Then he falls, slowly to his knees and then he just slumps forward with a thud. Another Legionary runs to his side, but I can already tell that it's too late. _She's going to turn the Legion against us._

"Run!" I shout at the remaining Legionnaires. Who hesitate for a second, be it out of fear or shock I really couldn't care less. _They just need to go._

I turn my attention back to Roxy, my mind scrambling to find a way to distract her. _But if she's trying to save the Hunt, what will she do with the Romans in the Hunt?_

"What about the Romans in the Hunt?" I try, which throws her off for another second. But a second is all the Legionnaires need as they quickly disappear into the darkness behind me. _I can't believe she accepted the deal with zero assurances and killed one of our allies._

"Sadly I will have to kill them for the rest of us to survive." She replies, almost sounding remorseful but thankfully she overlooks the retreating Legionnaires.

"That's all you have to say? These are your sisters. You have fought and lived with them, how can you throw them aside so easily?" I shout, my anger building. Roxy just grins at me as she readies another arrow, moving lazily, like she expects to win. _She thinks she can beat me. I've got two millennia of training and experience over her, Thalia is the only one that can really give me a challenge anymore._

Anticipating where Roxy is aiming, I prepare to dive out of the way and retaliate. But, she doesn't shoot. She just stands there, as perfectly still as a statue. _What's going on?_

I take a testing step forward, hyper aware of everything. But she still doesn't move, I notice that her head is slightly tilted to the side. Almost like she's listening to something, or someone. _Should I attack whilst she's not paying attention?_

I take a second step and her focus is immediately all over me. There's a dark light in her eyes and all recognition has left her eyes. _This can't be good._

Roxy starts to shoot faster than I've ever seen, and it takes a significant amount of effort to evade them all. It's no hardship however, and I quickly make my way towards her. _Its almost too easy._

As I get within six feet of Roxy, I drop low and pull out both of my hunting knives. Without a moments hesitation I fly towards the large girl in a whirl of knives and fury.

I don't even see her draw her knives, but when I see sparks burst into life in front of my eyes there can really be no other explanation. _Has she got faster?_

Our fight is ferocious and brutal, with neither of us giving a quarter. Back and forth we go, for what feels like an hour but could barely have only been a couple of minutes. _When did she get this good?_

Roxy is able to keep up with all of my attacks with what looks like only a small degree of effort, but neither of us have been able to land a hit yet. Whatever has given her this speed boost, didn't account for her bodies capabilities. _She's going to burn herself out._

With that in mind, I start to play a more defensive strategy to wear her down. Her attacks however, don't relent. She comes at me in a flurry on slashes and jabs, her speed only seeming to increase. How's she getting faster?

I try to jump away from her to get some breathing room, but she's on me faster than I can comprehend and now that I'm on the back foot, _literally and figuratively_ , her attacks begin to come just a little too close for comfort. _It's like she's been possessed._

One of her blades flashes past my eyes and I glimpse a few strands of hair falling away from my head. _She's getting too close to me._

I spin and duck away from her attacks and deflect a strike away from my chest. I strike at her thigh, trying to pull her into a low guard and as she blocks the strike I slash at her throat with my other knife.

In theory she has no time to block or dodge my attack, but somehow, at the very last second, she twists her body backwards so unnaturally it looks like her back should have snapped. _She going full blown exorcist on me._

In the blink of an eye, her body spins like a propeller and one of her knives is flying towards my chest. It takes every ounce of speed that I have to deflect the blade, and even then it digs itself into my shoulder. _Well, I definitely didn't see that coming._

I cry out in pain as the force from the knife spins me around. Thankfully I stay on my feet and I quickly turn back towards Roxy, who is slowly standing back up straight. _She's like a rag doll._

I quickly eye the knife in my shoulder, watching as my silver top begins to turn crimson. The blades are designed to do more damage if they're pulled out. _Never thought I'd have to think about it on a more personal level._

"It didn't have to be this way Sophia." Roxy starts, holding her arms out like she wants to embrace me.

"You could have survived this war if you had just looked the other way." She sighs, trying to sound sad about this situation. _Is she going to start a monologue?_

"But at what cost?" I quickly cut in, taking a step backwards as Roxy looks at me with sad eyes.

"The death of my Sisters, my friends? The total destruction of the world by some crazed primordial deity?" I spit, taking another half step back and planting my feet. _I need to be ready for her next attack._

"Don't you think that's a little too high?" I shout, bringing my left knife up in a defensive stance. Seeing this, the look in Roxy's eyes turns to pity.

"I thought you would understand." She replies quietly, taking an annoyingly slow step forward. _What does she mean? How would I understand any of her madness?_

"Don't you think that it's time for the Gods reign to come to an end? How many lives have they taken for such petty reasons? How many have they just let die?" She starts, a sinister undertone snaking into her words. _Where's she going with this?_

"Your own family were left for dead by the very Goddess you now serve. Don't you think it's a little strange how Artemis didn't turn up to defend her own temple." Her words hit me like a truck, and stir ancient feelings of doubt in Olympus. _Of course I've thought about it._

"If the Gods cared even a fraction more, your family would have been spared. Your mother, your older sister and your baby _brother_." She continues, almost spitting the word brother. Like saying the word will taint her in some way. _How does she know about my family? How does she know about Alec?_

Slowly I feel the claws of doubt begin to take hold again, and my knife begins to lower. _Is she right? Did Artemis forsake us just because she didn't care? Would it be better if the Gods were gone?_

"Join us Sophia, and we can make sure nothing like that ever happens again." Roxy offers, taking another step forward as she holds her hand out to me. My thoughts are flying around me head as I try to argue all of my doubts, and as much as I would love to disagree with her. _I can't._

Over their rule, the Gods have brought more war, death and destruction than any should be aloud. _But is this the right way to go about it?_

I look at Roxy's hand and catch a slight glint in her eyes. _She's believes this is the best way. Is she right?_

Before I can do anything an image of Percy Jackson appears in my head, it's him making the Gods promise to change their ways. I then see the Hunt, Artemis and Thalia. All smiling and laughing, before the attack, before this retched war that Erebus put into motion. _No, she's wrong. Artemis wouldn't abandon people at her temple, and while the Gods may have cause a lot of problems. One boy has managed to slowly change them for the better._

"You know, a long time ago I would have agreed with you. Heck, I might have even joined you." I begin, a small smile building on my lips.

"And more importantly, I've already lost one family. I refuse to lose another." I finish, the hopeful smile on her face dies immediately. _She's going to come flying at me, I'll only have one or two opportunities kill her with one arm._

"I always knew you were too weak to handle anything important." Roxy growls, all the niceties disappearing. With a feral growl that is verging on her foaming at the mouth, Roxy dives at me in a blind rage. _I guess it's do or die._

I wait till Roxy is about to crash into me before I move, and in one motion I step to the right and jam my knife into her torso aiming for her heart. _It's between the 4th and 5th rib, or something like that._

Unfortunately, I miss by a couple of inches and only manage to stab her in the gut. _Damn her new found speed!_

I yank the knife from her side as she flies past me, feeling her hot blood spray down my side. I spin to face her, expecting her to be somewhat incapacitated from the strike.

But no, she looks absolutely bloody fine. You can't be serious. Roxy looks down at her side with bored eyes, even as blood starts to trickle from her mouth. _What's wrong with her?_

I don't have time to think over my my question, as Roxy comes flying at me again. I block the strike with ease, but in the blink of an eye she pulls an arrow from her quiver and drives it in just under my rib cage on my defenceless side. _Shit._

I gasp at the pain and stumble away, the ground suddenly slanting under my feet. Black dots dancing across my eyes as I struggle to stay on my feet. _This is bad. This is really really bad!_

"Do you see this power that Erebus has given me? You may be better than me, but even you can't keep up with this speed and strength." Roxy cackles as she starts to walk towards me, no regards given to the wound in her side. _That isn't a wound you should be able to walk off._

"All I see, is a girl that has betrayed her family. Betrayed her family for nothing more than a hollow promise." I counter, my voice calm. She half growls at me before a smile adorns her face.

"I guess this is goodbye then sister, may you be judged fairly." She returns with false sincerity. _We'll see about that._

Again she flies at me, a barrage of attacks streaking towards me. I dodge, parry and block to the best of my ability, but she's only getting faster and she manages to cut my shoulder and arm. Which leaves me even more of a bloody mess.

She jumps back a few meters before launching another attack at me, her knife hurtling towards my throat. _This isn't the end for me ginge!_

I duck, only narrowly avoid having my head taken off, spin on the ball of my foot and drive my knife through her sternum. _Walk that one off you bitch._

Her momentum pulls my knife from my hand, but she comes to a screeching halt as she looks down at the knife. Slowly she turns back to me, a confused look in her eyes as the knife casts a grim shadow. _How's she still standing?_

She struggles to pull the knife out, but the blade holds fast in the bone. The realisation sets in and she gets a little more frantic in her effort to pull the knife out.

Her legs begin to wobble under her as she coughs blood down her chin. Her eyes go wide and feral as she turns her attention back to me, taking a laboured step towards me. _She's still trying to kill me._

Now weaponless I take a pained step away from the girl, but thankfully she only manages two steps before falling to her knees.

"This isn't how it was supposed to end." She wheezes, looking at the blood on her hands.

"I was meant to survive. He promised that I would survive." She cries, blood flying from her lips. Steadying myself, I walk over to the dying girl and grab the hilt of my knife.

"I'm sure he did." I reply wearily, placing my foot against her chest and wrench the knife from her chest with a grunt.

"Watch your back, don't think that I'm the only one that has taken Erebus' gracious offer."Roxy manages before she crumples to the ground without so much as a gasp as the life leaves her eyes. Her heart was in the right place I suppose. _Now I have to get back to Thalia and the rest._

I turn to make my way towards the Temples, but my legs start to shake and my eyes start to dim. _I can't die here, I need to tell Thalia that there might be more spies._

 **(Percy POV)**

I run into Nico as I'm leaving the Medicus, he's looking a little aimless and paler than usual. _What happened to him?_

"Hey Nico, how're you doing?" I ask, reaching out to the younger boy. Nico turns to me with a distant look in his eyes and a worried frown on his face. _What's happened to him?_

It takes him a little while to respond to my question and it's only a brief okay. He tries to walk away, but I grab him by the shoulder. _I definitely shouldn't be grabbing him._

"Nico, what's wrong?" I inquire, turning him back to me.

"I let Will get shot, I used all of my power to defend the Medicus from the blast and I'm knackered. I'm basically useless for the rest of the fight." He groans in frustration, sinking to the floor with his hands on his head. _Why does he think he's useless without his powers?_

"Nico, you are far from useless without your powers. You're one of the best swordsmen I know, so rest up and get back in the fight." I try and reassure him, but he looks way more broken up about what he said than I expect him to be.

"Percy, have you ever realised the extent of your powers at the worst possible time?" He asks, his voice beginning to crack. _All the time buddy._

"Of course I know what that's like." I reply remorsefully.

"I felt that blast coming and immediately put up a barrier. It encompassed the Medicus and half of the Legion." He tells me, looking up at me with sad eyes. _Half the Legion?_ _But that would mean -_

"But the moment the blast hit it took everything I had just to protect the Medicus." He reveals, his lip beginning to quiver.

"I felt every single death Percy. 876 souls in one instant and another 100 in the next few minutes, do you have any idea what that felt like?" Nico begins to cry, the shadows reacting to his emotions with what little power he has left. _He felt all of that over a second? Dear Gods that must have been awful._

"I'm so sorry Nico, I can't begin to imagine what that must have felt like." Trying to imagine the amount of pain that he went through as I kneel down next to him. _He's too young for this kind of pain._

"Nico, I want you to go inside and keep an eye on Will. He's in a pretty bad state and could probably do with a friend about now." I tell him, watching as his eyes sharpen for a second. He nods slowly before climbing to his feet and walking into the Medicus. _He's quite fond of Will, isn't he?_

"Got room for a couple more on your hunt?" A voice asks from behind me, I stand back up and turn around to see who's talking to me. _Who'd want to come on this wild goose chase?_

When I turn around I find Jenna with Gwen and another Huntress, whose name I don't quite remember. _I feel like it starts with a C, and why're they wearing black?_

"It's so nice to see you guys." I smile, engulfing Jenna in a hug. The other two kind of flinched away, I'm going to assume it's because of the fire. _Can't blame them for that._

"It's good to see you to Perce." Jenna replies, hugging me back.

"Where's everyone else? Thalia told me that you had half the Hunters with you." I ask, looking around as I let her go. _They can't have all been killed, these guys would be way more upset._

"They're all inside getting checked out." Gwen asks, and a wave of relief flows through me. _Got to take all the good news we can get right now._

"And the Legionaries?" I ask hopefully, knowing that Reyna stationed about a dozen with them. After my question, it's like I'm the most uninteresting person in the world. _I'm guessing they didn't make it._

"They died defending us." The third Huntress says quietly, looking everywhere but at me. _Yea, I expected that._

I nod solemnly to the girl as I take a step away. Too many have died already and the war is only just starting.

"You're free to come if you want. But you're gonna have to keep up, we're on the clock here." I vaguely state, which earns a confused look from all three of them. _I don't have time to explain._

"I'm sure we'll have no problem keeping up." Jenna smiles, looking a little smug.

"I hope you're right." I return, sounding a little patronising. I see the grins grow on their faces as I turn and head towards the power source that I have felt slowly growing. _That's got to be the person in charge._

 **(Line Break)**

It takes us a couple of minutes to race to the source of the power, the need to avoid bodies becoming slightly sickening.

I stop for a second to survey the area, and to let the Hunters catch up. All of them look a little winded, but try very hard to hide it from me. _Proud girls._

Looking around all I can see are the remnants of the Legion, as well as the mass of warriors that must have been abandoned by the enemy. _It's good to see how little the enemy care for their troops._

But the pull of the power is getting stronger , and it's taking us right through the hole in the wall. _That's going to be like walking through into the Lions den._

I can see all the siege equipment that the enemy brought. Catapults, Ballista and a huge fucking battering ram. _Did they cut a whole goddamn forest down for that? No wonder they punch a hole through the wall._

When it sounds like the girls have caught their breath enough, we press on towards the wall. But something feels wrong. _Why aren't there any monsters here? They wouldn't have retreated this much would they?_

Unable to shake the feeling that this might be a trap, I slow our pace considerably. I only have about fifteen minutes left of my invocation left when we reach the breach in the wall. _But there are still no monsters._

"Cassandra, Gwen, you guys climb what's left of the wall and provide overwatch. Jenna, let's cross the bridge." I tell them, with much less confrontation than I expected. _They don't usually like me telling them what to do, and yes, I did find out Cassandra's name._

"Somethings bothering you isn't it?" Jenna whispers as we slowly approach the bridge. _As astute as ever this one._

"I'm just wondering where all the monsters went. Why would they retreat this far?" I let the question sit in the air for a second, and her lack of answer proves that there is something wrong here. _I have the most horrifying feeling that I've come flying into a trap with these girls._

I take a testing step on the rickety bridge and am surprised to find that it is incredibly stable. _I guess that explains how the battering ram got across._

With both Riptide and Cyclone raised we cross the bridge in silence, the reassurance that Gwen and Cassandra are covering our backs relieving some of the pressure.

We're about halfway across the bridge when I hear it. Not unlike in the Senate house with the archer, I hear the strain of a bow string being pulled back. But this time, instead of a light strain, it sounds like a tree is being bent over. _Holy shit, it's a Ballista!_

In one move I sheathe Cyclone and pull Jenna to me, and spin around so that I am blocking her with my body. I then will the Little Tiber to explode like a geyser and freeze in front of us and for my flame wings to cocoon around us. _Please work, I really don't feel like being skewered today._

"Percy what're yo-" she doesn't get to finish her sentence. This is because there is a massive whiplike crack before a horrid sounding crunch. _At least it didn't hit me._

Slowly I let go of Jenna and retract my flames. I turn around and find a Ballista bolt inches from my back, sticking through the ice column and with a very melted tip. _Well that was close._

"Percy Jackson, what a surprise seeing you here. I was sure I was told you'd be at the back wall." An gratingly familiar voice calls from the shadows. _I know this stupid sounding voice._

"Adam! It's been too long. How's the hand?" I bait, hoping to get a clear shot for either Gwen or Cassandra. There's a moments pause before his response, where I can hear the faintest shuffle of movement. He's organising his men in the shadows. _Fuck._

"I seemed to have misplaced it since our last encounter, you haven't seen it have you?" He calls out from a different place, obvious venom in his words. _He's still pissed about being punished._

"Do you know this guy?" Jenna mutters as she aims her bow into the darkness, tracking some unseen target.

"Yea, this is one of the guys that attacked me in New Rome a while back." I inform her, my eyes scanning the darkness. I can't see anything, there must be something else at play here.

"I'm afraid not. Maybe your brother knows." I reply, giving Riptide a spin as I try to bait him out of the shadows again. _I wonder if he's heard?_

"What's my idiot of a brother done now?" Adam calls out, concern starting worming its way into the venom. I take a step forward and try for my most remorseful face as I take a second longer than needed to reply. _This should get interesting._

"I'm afraid he's dead." I tell him with a soft voice. At first there's nothing. No response, no movement, just complete silence. _Did he not hear me?_

"You're lying." Comes a quiet response, a little closer than before.

"You're lying!" He then shouts, sounding like he's just at the edge of the darkness.

"I'm afraid not buddy." Keeping my voice soft I take a small step in the direction of his voice. If he's as distraught as he sounds, hopefully he won't notice my movements.

"Oh yea! And how would you know that?" He challenges, the desperation becoming evident in his voice. _This should push him over the edge._

"Well you see, your information wasn't off. I was defending the rear walls when your brother attacked. Did you know that 80 Legionaries held off that attacking force?" I inquire, drawing out my time. _I need to be sure of where he is before I can attack._

"That's preposterous, there were at least 500 to attack that wall!" Adam shouts, I can almost feel his patience running thin.

"Yea, I know. Anyway, your brother rocked up when I was fighting a shade, kind of just barged into the fight, it was rude. He was blabbering about revenge or something." I continue, taking another half step towards Adam's voice.

"Is there an end to this story? I'm growing bored of it." Adam growls impatiently, obviously wanting to know what happened to his brother. _Oh I've got an ending for you._

"Well me and your brother were having it out, when he had the misfortune of being introduced to my sword in a fairly intimate way." I shrug, slowly moving my free hand to Cyclone. _This better not backfire._

Adam doesn't respond for what feels like a solid minute and I'm beginning to wonder if he's run off somewhere. _I really don't have the time for this._

"How could you?" Adam suddenly yells, the darkness dissipating in an instant to reveal Adam and half a dozen Shades. _Why does the world hate me so much?_

I feel Jenna tense up behind me, obviously sensing the presence of the Shades. She brings up her bow, but I really don't know how much of an effect that it is going to have on them.

"Jenna, back up to the wall with the others. I'll hold them off till you get there and then I'll sink this bridge." I tell her, trying to keep my eyes on all of the Shades at once. _Maybe I shouldn't have provoked him._

Jenna goes to argue, but I stop her with a hand on her shoulder. Quickly she runs back over the bridge and to her sisters. I'm really not sure I can hold off this many Shades by myself. _But I guess we're going to find out._

"Kill him!" Adam roars, pointing his metal hand at me. _That is a creepy looking hand._

But I don't really have time to dwell on his prosthetic hand, as all the Shades come charging towards me with immense speed. _This is not going to go well._

 **(Line Break)**

The first Shade is on me way too fast and even with my new speed, I can barely keep up. _This one's faster than the other one._

I take note that this Shade has Emerald green eyes, which are pulsating with an atrocious amount of power. We have a quick exchange of attacks before it jumps back and the next Shade is upon me.

This one has Sapphire blue eyes and hits with the force of a wrecking ball, which almost sends me to my knees. _Holy crap that hurt._

I jump backwards and send two spears at it, trying to create some space between us. But it just swats the water aside and apparently there's a third Shade behind me. _Brilliant._

Crashing into the Shade is like hitting a wall made of ice, with lots of tiny daggers pointing out of it. _What a comforting feeling._

I spin around just in time for the Shade with Amethyst eyes to claw across my face and spin me towards the Shade with Sapphire eyes. _I knew this wasn't going to go well._

I catch myself before I stumble into the ridiculously strong Shade and send a wave of fire towards it. But our all to familiar Ruby eyed Shade jumps in the way and absorbs the flames into its black vortex. _I hate everything about this situation._

The four of them all come at me at once, and it takes every single fibre of skill to keep them at bay and even then they break through my guard more often than I'd care to admit. _They're just too damn fast._

I see a few arrows fly past me towards the two Shades that are holding back. But they don't even flinch as the arrows sail through their chests. _I guess their weak spot isn't in their chests._

The three Shades that are around me, don't relent in their attacks and they are slowly starting to ware me down. It's taking everything to keep up with Riptide and Cyclone, and all of my powers are just being absorbed by the Shade with Ruby eyes. _This really fucking sucks._

I try to throw off the Ruby eyed Shade by shooting water at Sapphire eyed Shade and detonating a fiery Riptide against the Amethyst eyed Shades claws. But quicker than I can even comprehend, two vortex's open and swallow up my attacks. _This might be it for me._

The Emerald eyed Shade brakes through my guard, again, and opens a new cut along my back. Which in turn allows the others to cut my thighs to ribbons. _Fuck that hurts._

More arrows hurtle past, but they just pass harmlessly through the Shades. _It's nice to know they're still there, but I'm really losing hope here._

I roll away from another barrage of attacks and detonate all the water around me, partially as a small distraction and partially to test the Shades limitations. _Let's see how it handles a metric tonne of water._

Unexpectedly a vortex opens up, but surprisingly, it can only take about a quarter of the amount of water before they all have to jump out of the way to avoid the water. _So it can only deal with a small amount of my powers, let's test this._

I let a flicker of hope begin to burn in my chest again. I raise as much of the Little Tiber as I can, _which is a fair amount_ , and hold it above my head.

"Let's play a game." I smirk, seeing what might be the first flicker of fear in the Shades eyes. _Or maybe that's just the smokey nature of their bodies._

I will about twenty massive tendrils of water to shoot towards the Shades, making them scatter as I punch holes through the bridge. I then push the biggest wave of fire I can towards them, trying to push them towards their side of the river. _If I can do that and then destroy the bridge, at least they won't be able to come charging straight back into the city._

My plan partially works. The Ruby and Sapphire eyed Shades are thrown back towards the shore, but the Emerald and Amethyst eyed Shades fly past the attacks and comes blazing towards me. _These two are faster than the other two._

With only two to defend against, I'm able to keep up with their attacks without taking any more damage. _Maybe I can beat them when it's a max of two._

"Percy! Get out of there, you're out of time!" I hear Jenna call from the wall. _You've got to be kidding me._

But I can feel it, the burning in my arms and legs. The inferno that's building in my chest, and the fog that's starting to blur the edge of my mind. _Damn it! She's right._

"What's that fire bird? Do we have a time limit to adhere to?" The Shades scratchy voice sniggers as it slashes at me with its claws. _Now they know about my time limit, brilliant._

I deflect its attack and watch as my blade passes through its neck with little effect. _This is unbelievably unfair._

With a hoarse laugh the Shade strikes at my side, which I only just manage to block with Cyclone. The strike jars my arm, it there is another pain in my hand that is so agonising that it sends Cyclone flying from my hand. _This… This isn't good._

I block its next strike with a burning Riptide, but the pain in my hand takes over and I drop the blade. I look down at my hands and see that they are slowly turning black with red lines starting to trace up my arms. _Fuck it, how do I even turn off my invocation?_

I jump away from the Shades and focus on returning to my normal state, and without even a whisper my flames disappear.

Immediately my body sags like I've had lead blocks attached to me, and along with all the damage I've taken. I am not in a good way. _I need to get out of here._

I slide away from the Shades attacks, but my speed is way too lacking and it manages to catch me on the back of my knee. I cry out as I hit the ground, the wooden planks creaking under my weight. _This is bad._

I'm flipped onto my back with a cold hand and then the Emerald eyed Shade drives its clawed hand through my shoulder, and I cry out in pain as the Shade lifts me up to eye level. _They are so freakishly strong for shadows._

"It's a good thing that my master wants you alive. Otherwise I would be skinning you right about now." The Shade hisses in my ear as it turns and starts to make its way back over the bridge. I try and push water and fire towards the Shade, but nothing happens. _This can't be happening._

"Percy, I'm coming!" I hear one of the girls cry from the wall, but I'm slowly fading into unconsciousness. _They need to run away._

"Run!" I try to shout, but it comes out as a pained kind of wail. It doesn't matter how it sounds, they just need to get out of here. They need to warn Reyna about the Shades.

We reach the shore and the Shade laughs as it drops me in an unceremonious heap in front of Adam, who has an annoyingly smug look on his face. _Gods, I hate this dick._

Adam walks towards me frustratingly slowly, his metal hand glistening in the torch light. _How does he even fight with that? It doesn't look very practical._

"How did an insect like you beat my brother?" Adam hisses as he looks down at me, the disgust burning in his eyes. _He really need to get over this superiority complex._

"Why don't you call off your lapdogs and I'll show you." I challenge weakly, trying to appear cocky. _I'm in no state to fight anyone right now._

Adam just laughs as he bends down, grabs me by the throat and pulls me towards his face. _He smells like he's rotting. Maybe it's the hand._

"Look at you. There are stories told about you, did you know that?" He asks rhetorically. _Really?_

"These great tales of your strength and bravery, of all the Legendary beings that you defeated." He prattles on, as he slowly lifts me off the ground by my throat. _That is some interesting strength._

"But it would seem that those stories are just that." He sneers, looking me up and down disapprovingly. _Is this where he tells me that I wouldn't have been able to do anything without my friends? I mean, he's not wrong and the quicker everyone gets that, the better._

"I don't know what trick you pulled on my brother. But I can assure you, it won't work on me. To think a small skirmish would decimate your forces so much, the war hasn't even started Jackson and you are already defeated." He mocks, looking at the devastation that has taken place beyond the wall. _He's right. We haven't even started yet and they've already dealt a significant blow._

"If it were up to me, I would kill you here and now to avenge my brother. But my Master has asked for you to be captured at all costs." He scowls, the obvious dissatisfaction evident in his eyes. _Why does he want me alive?_

I barely have the energy to keep my eyes focused, let alone respond to any of his statements. But I do hear something that makes me smile. _That idiot never listens to me._

"What're you sm-" Adam is cut off by an arrow embedding itself in his thigh. He drops me as his leg gives, his cries of pain the only bright side of being dropped.

In an instant the Shades are by Adam, but even they are stumped by what happens next. Before any of them can attack the three Hunters that had snuck over the bridge, the ground beneath us starts to rumble and groan and by the time I have blinked a ten foot wall has grown in a crescent around the end of the bridge. _Where the fuck did that come from?_

I'm pulled to my feet by two pairs of hands and they start to pull me over the bridge. I realise that it is Jenna and Gwen that are holding me and that Gwen is looking fairly pale and clammy. _Did she make the wall._

I turn my head slightly and can see that Cassandra is following behind, her bow ready and pointed at the wall. _That wall won't hold them long._

But they don't come. They don't break down or scale the wall. _What're they planning._

I however, don't have the strength left to think about the plans of a madman and focus solely on not passing out. _Who knew invoking would be so tiring._

Then I feel a warmth strike the side of my head, it's comforting and feels like it's calming my soul. _What is that?_

I turn and see the sun breaching the horizon in a red hue. _Are they calling off the attack because of the sun? Can the Shades not fight in the sunlight?_

"Are you alright?" Jenna asks, looking at me worriedly. I quickly glance down at myself and see that I am a bloody mess, with dozens of cuts all over the place and a big old puncture in my shoulder. _It's not the worst state I've ever been in._

"I'll be fine, just throw my in a fountain or something." I smile, looking at the pair holding me. _They don't look amused._

"Why would a fountain help?" Cassandra asks, catching up with us as soon as she realised that we aren't being followed. _I guess she doesn't know all that much about my powers._

"Water can heal his wounds. It's a Poseidon thing." Jenna quickly informs her for me.

"By the way, did you make that wall Gwen?" I inquire, looking at the tired girl. She looks up at me, her multicoloured eyes dim. _It would appear she was._

"I'm not sure how I did it. But I just didn't want them to take you away, then there was this tug in my stomach and before I knew it the wall was there." She explains wearily. _Is she really ok to be carrying me?_

"Have you been claimed then?" I press, interested in finally knowing who her parent is.

"No." She responds weakly, disappointment in her eyes. _I guess she wants to know just as much as I do._

"I'm sorry, but we need to pick up the …" Cassandra's sentence trails off as we start crossing the ground between the wall and the Principia.

I look over to Cassandra and see her eyes wide and her face pale. _She looks like she's going to throw up._

I follow her eyes and am immediately horrified by the sight before me. The full magnitude of the assault hits us in the morning rays. _Oh my Gods!_

Gwen gags at the sight and I really can't blame her. It's not even the number of bodies that shocks me, it's the fact that a number of Legionary bodies are tied to posts. _How did we miss this on the way out?_

Their horrified and pained expressions tell me that they were alive when they were tied to the posts, and the assortment of knives, arrows and spears tell me that they were used as target practice for the rear ranks. _Or as entertainment._

"How barbaric." Jenna whispers. _Still don't get how she can see these things._

Some of the bodies are even missing limbs, they look like they have been gnawed off. _Did they let Hellhounds at them to finish them off?_

"This is beyond savage." Cassandra agrees, struggling to find a place to look. I pull my eyes from the disfigured bodies and scan the rest of the field, a stray weapon here and a bloody helmet there.

But what really grabs my attention is a single Lorica Segmentata in perfect condition, except that it's missing a body. Scarlet droplets slowly drop from the neck, the sound of it reminding me of a leaky tap. _I don't even want to know what happened to that Legionary._

"Let's just get back to the Medicus." I sigh, peeling my eyes and thoughts from the bloody piece of armour. _No one says anything as we make our way towards the Medicus. I just hope we don't run into any Monsters._

 **(Line Break)**

We didn't run into any Monsters on the way back, and by the time we reached the Medicus the fighting had all but stopped. The Monsters and rogue Demigods, apparently just withdrew the moment the sun started to rise. _Was this just a probing strike to test out defences and thin our numbers?_

All of the wounded have been moved to the Circus Maximus, the command centre had been set up near the entrance with about 500 Legionaries are set up in the stands, with more turning up as the day goes on. _That's not even a fifth of our starting forces._

After I got fixed up by one of the medics, I went to check on Will. Nico was with him and it didn't look good, all the skin around the wound has turned black and is spreading quickly.

Nico managed to get some rest and seemed to be back to a degree of normal. _For him._ He told me that he'd keep an eye on Will, as I left to go and find Reyna. _I hope she's doing ok._

As I'm searching, I see a group of female Medics rushing in with a stretcher. I spot the silver parka before anything else and immediately make a beeline over to them. _I need to tell Thalia if it is a Hunter._

The Medics take her over to a small tent and quickly disappear inside. I'm about to follow them in when I stop for a second. _I do not want to be killed for walking in when I shouldn't._

I nock on the front flap of the tent and wait for someone to let me in. It only takes a couple of seconds before one of the Medics arrives, a small girl with tiered but determined honey eyes. _How old is this girl?_

"Praetorian, what can I do for you?" She asks, her voice a bit taut. _Can't blame her for that._

"Did you just take a Hunter in there?" I ask, resisting the urge to peak through the tent.

"Yes, why do you ask?" She questions, looking at me with a little suspicion. _She thinks I might be up to no good._

"Would you mind if I check who it is so that I can report it to her Lieutenant?" I request, trying to sound as business like as I can. _I also want to check it is one of my friends._

The small Medic thinks over my request, for a second. Before she nods and pulls the tent flap back so that I can walk in.

The girl I see on the table almost breaks me. The girl on the table has the completion and blonde hair of the child of Apollo, and her face is all too familiar. _Sophia._

"How is she?" I ask to no one in particular.

"She has two major injuries and a few minor cuts. The knife in her shoulder looks like a Hunters knife and there is a broken arrowhead lodged in her abdomen. That's the more serious injury. We found her next to another Hunter, big girl with red hair. But she was long dead." A different Medic informs me with a very professional tone. _I'm about to lose my shit and she's annoyingly calm. Roxy fits the description of the other girl._

"Ok, keep me up to date with her condition." I order them and all of them nod before getting back to work. _Thalia is not going to be happy._

I leave the tent with my heart in my stomach and restart my search for Reyna. _She was at her breaking point when I left._

I just hope this doesn't break her. _Rome needs her, I need her._

 _ **A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to finish. College was mad with my exhibition being put on. But that's all don't now, which means I have more time for writing. So I will do my best to post chapter more frequently. So I hope you enjoyed the Chapter and I'll see you next time.**_


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